Life Ain't Always Beautiful
by Savvy Sammy-13
Summary: When Randall is saved and then taken hostage by Rick's group he leaves behind a girl who needs him. Will he be able to convince them to help him save her from his group? Even if he does, how will she fit into the group and what characters will she affect? Rated M just in case. Daryl/OC/Randall
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: Hey guys I'm still writing I'll Feed Your Dreams. This idea just popped into my head and I had to run with it. Please review and let me know what you think. If people like it I'll continue!_

"No please man ya gotta listen to me!"

Daryl's fist connected with Randall's face again, sending the boy off of the wooden chair and onto the rough barn wood floor.

"I told you," Randall choked out.

"You ain't told me shit," Daryl growled as he pulled Randall back up by his shirt collar.

"I asked you how many men you got in your group. I think it's about time you answer my questions and quit blubbering around," Daryl growled.

"I…I…about thirty guys," Randall stuttered.

Daryl glared back at the kid as he spit blood out onto the barn floor.

"I've tried tellin your people, I gotta get back to the group, I gotta save her!" he said quickly.

"Who?" Daryl muttered.

"Scarlett. My group took her! I went to school with her years ago."

"What kind of weapons do ya'll got?" Daryl demanded, once again ignoring Randall.

"Uh..man I don't even…"

Daryl lunged for Randall's leg as he whipped out his hunting knife.

"You ever picked a scab before?" he growled. "You start off slow at first but sooner or later ya just gotta rip it off.

"Heavy stuff. Automatics and….c'mon man I didn't do anything," Randal blurted out. "You don't understand man, they're gonna..…they're gonna hurt her."

Daryl took a step back, staring back at Randall's broken face.

"How can we trust you? You took a shot at my boys."

"You can't blame me for that! I was just with that group to survive. It's just a group of men. I have to pull my share or I can't stay with them. I thought I'd have a better chance with them. They found Scarlett right before we ran into your men in the bar. I wasn't thinking about what I was doing. I was just worried about her. They had her tied up in the truck. Your men were shooting at me too."

"How do I know you ain't lying, trying to get back to your men and bring em back here huh?"

"I ain't lying I swear. I'm just trying to save her man. You don't know what they're like. We…we were out scavenging one night and we ran into a campsite. A man and his two daughters. Teenagers, real young, real cute ya know? The Daddy had to watch while these guys, they….They didn't even kill him em afterwards. But I..I didn't touch those girls. I ain't like that. I ain't like that."

Daryl kicked Randall's hurt leg, sending him sprawling onto his side again.

"Please!" Randall pleaded. "I gotta save her. I went to school with her. She wasn't with our group. She was on her own and they found her. I've gotta get back to her!"

Daryl scowled at the boy before he turned and headed back toward the barn door.

"Naw man c'mon! They're gonna hurt her they.." Daryl slammed the barn door, muffling the rest of his cries.

* * *

Randall brushed his bloody lip across the shoulder of his shirt. Scarlett. Her name repeated in his mind over and over again. She was in definite trouble, and he was afraid he was already too late to save her. He'd been stuck at the farm for too long already. When she stepped out of the abandoned store in town, he'd felt an overwhelming feeling of happiness. She was a sight for sore eyes, and looked exactly how he'd remembered her too. Her long curly brown hair fell over her shoulders and framed her pretty face. She had been wearing a slightly stained white tank top and jeans that hugged her small figure. They were ripped, but he knew she'd bought them that way. It was her signature style, testing boundaries and starting new fads. The skinny jeans had been tucked down into a flat pair of lace up boots and a machete hung from her waist. Her wrists were covered with a few leather bracelets. She was the last person he expected to see. The last time he'd seen her was years ago after graduation when she was leaving the state to get into some fancy design school. She'd ran to him and pulled him into a tight hug, the kind of hug she'd always given him at school. The quick conversation they had repeated in his mind. She was alone, had been nearly ever since the beginning of the infection. The happiness he felt was soon replaced with sheer terror as the rest of the scouting group met up with him. It was all his fault. He was too caught up in seeing her again. He didn't realize the danger he was putting her in just by talking with her. Why hadn't he ran off with her in the exact opposite direction of his group of scouts? They wouldn't have looked for him. They would have written him off as a loss immediately. Just one less mouth to feed. They snatched her up so quickly, despite both him and her fighting them back. The look of betrayal on her face hit him hard. Whatever happened to her was his fault.

* * *

Daryl walked away from the barn. Everyone was standing around the campfire looking his way. He tried to wipe the blood away from his knuckles and onto the back of his pants as he got closer to them.

"That boy there's got a gang, thirty men, heavy artillery and they ain't lookin to make friends. They roll through here and our boys are dead and our women….they're gonna wish they were," Daryl explained immediately before Rick or the others could ask.

"What did you do?" Carol asked as she crossed her arms across her chest.

"We had a little chat," Daryl muttered.

"No one goes near this guy," Rick stepped up immediately.

Daryl walked passed everyone as they all started expressing their opinions at once. He found himself more and more aggravated by everyone as the days dragged on. He just couldn't seem to catch a break from them. If they weren't worrying about him they were needing him to do something. He didn't let it show, but it had given him a bit of a confidence boost when he was asked to get answers from Randall. That was something he hadn't minded, but now he found himself thinking about what Randall had said. He tried not to dwell on it for long, telling himself that it was all a lie instead. It wasn't like he didn't have enough guilt on his mind already.

Daryl hung back, watching Rick talk to the group as he waited for a chance to talk to him. Against his better judgment he'd decided to tell Rick about Randall's mystery girl. Rick finally broke away from the group and Daryl walked over to catch up to him.

"What's up?" Rick asked as their eyes met.

"He says he's got a girl who needs him," Daryl muttered to Rick.

Rick squinted back at him. "What do you mean?"

"He says his group took a girl…somebody he knew and that she's in trouble. He's probably fuckin lying though."

"What if he's not," Rick said.

"Rick, how long have we had this kid here? If that girl was in trouble it's probably too damn late," Daryl grumbled. "I think he's just trying to save his ass."

"But what if there really is a girl in trouble? You worried about Sophia. What's the difference if another girl is in trouble?"

"She ain't little like Sophia was," Daryl snapped. "She's his age."

"Age doesn't matter," Rick argued. "If she's in trouble she's in trouble."

"Why do all ya'll have to bring up Sophia so damn much. She's gone," Daryl growled. "You don't have to remind me of that every fuckin day." He brushed passed Rick and walked away from the campsite.

Daryl walked over to one of the water wells and sat down to wash the blood off of his knuckles. Damn Rick, why did he always have to be so good? So ready to help? He knew he shouldn't have even mentioned this girl to him. This Scarlett girl was probably just a made up excuse. Randall couldn't be trusted, but he was afraid that the mention of the girl was going to have Rick playing right into Randall's hands. He let his eyes wander back to the campsite close to the farmhouse. He groaned under his breath as his eyes met Carol's. She was always watching him, always worrying about him and it aggravated him to high heavens. He quickly dried his hands on his pants and threw his crossbow back over his shoulder, anxious to get away from Carol and the others.

* * *

Randall lifted his head up when the barn door opened again. Rick stepped in and shut it back behind him. Randall squinted back at the man who'd saved him from dying in the town. He could feel his eye swelling from Daryl's repeated attacks as it obscured his visison.

"You gotta get me outta here man, I don't know what he told you but you gotta believe me. I didn't do nothing," Randall started pleading with Rick before he even stepped closer to him.

Rick walked closer, not taking his eyes off of him as he did.

"A girl's in trouble?" he asked.

"Yeah," Randall said quickly. "Scarlett. She..they took her. She's in trouble. I gotta get back before they hurt her." His voice cracked a little. " Dammnit they probably already have."

"Why?" Rick asked as he squatted down beside him.

"They're dangerous. They're just crazy and Scarlett…she's pretty…real pretty. She's young. She's tough but that doesn't even make a difference," he stopped himself.

Rick stared back at him as if he was thinking.

"You don't understand man. I've seen what they do firsthand. They're heartless…they…"

"Where's your camp?" Rick interrupted him.

"It's not far from here," Randall blurted out, feeling a glimmer of hope. "I can show you where it is."

* * *

"Daryl."

Daryl looked up from the arrows he was whittling as Rick walked toward him."What do you want?" Daryl grumbled, lowering his eyes back to the arrows.

"I talked to Randall."

"What?" Daryl snapped. "So?"

"I think he's telling the truth."

"So you're just gonna let him go then? Let him bring them men back here and kill us all?

"No, that's not an option," Rick said sharply.

"Daryl squinted back at him. "Well what the hell?"

"I think we need to go check out this supposed camp site. See if there is a girl," Rick suggested.

Daryl shook his head as he stood up and tossed the arrows to the ground.

"That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard. You're gonna get yourself killed out there. Do you really think if the have a girl there that she'll just be propped up roasting marshmallows in front of a crackling fire?"

Rick stared back at him.

"I fuckin doubt that," Daryl muttered. "If there even is a fuckin girl she'll be locked up somewhere or hidden away in some tent….That is if she's still alive."

"Well," Rick said as he looked back out into the fields. "I don't know about you but I can't sit here and live with myself while some girl's out there."

Daryl watched Rick turn his gaze back to him.

"I'm going first thing tomorrow. I'd like you to come along if you would. Could really use you, but I understand if you're still bitter about the Sophia thing. Ya know Daryl, we all lost someone when she died. We all blamed ourselves, but we moved past it. You can't just move your camp way out here and pretend like nobody else exists."

"This group's broken," Daryl grumbled.

"Well we gotta fix it if we wanna survive. We need each other," Rick muttered.

"She could be anybody, Daryl. Everybody needs help at some time. We have to depend on each other now. She deserves help don't ya think?"

Daryl chewed nervously at his thumbnail.

"You know how I know he isn't lying?" Rick asked. "He seems as dedicated to her as you were about finding Sophia. This Scarlett girl is like his own personal Sophia."

Daryl froze as Rick's words hit him. Rick started walking back out into the field.

"What the hell does this girl even look like?" Daryl muttered, trying not to sound too interested. Rick turned back around.

"He said she has curly brown hair, average height, pretty small stature all in all though. Said she was the only girl there. Can I count you in?"

Daryl stared back at Rick, prolonging his answer. He hated giving in to people. It made him look weak.

"I reckon I ain't got nothing better to be doin."

"Alright," Rick nodded. "I appreciate it and I'm sure Scarlett would too."

"Yeah if she's a fuckin real person," Daryl muttered under his breath.

_Please review so i know what you guys think!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you guys for reviewing with encouraging reviews! Please keep doing it so I'll know if you like it! I usually update faster when I get reviews._

_**Witchbaby300- **__I always wondered about their camp too! Thanks so much for the encouraging review! I hope you like it, because I do plan on having their group pretty twisted._

Daryl stood by the truck, waiting on Rick who was talking heatedly with Shane. The sun was just beginning to come up and the others were still asleep. Daryl scowled back at Shane. Shane was always ready to jump in and take over or boss someone around. Nobody's ideas or decisions were ever good enough for him.

"Man, you barely made it back last time. Lori almost killed herself lookin for you!" Shane's voice carried. "You got a scared boy and pregnant wife. Why the hell are you going out to risk your life for a girl you don't even know?"

Daryl looked down at his bruised knuckles as he listened to Rick and Shane, remembering once again why he'd chosen to distance himself from everyone.

"That kid is dangerous!" Shane roared. "We just need to get rid of him and forget about that girl."

Daryl looked back up as Shane stomped off, leaving Rick standing with his hands on his hips. Rick took his time walking back over to the truck.

"If we leave, Shane's gonna do something reckless and stupid," Rick muttered as he looked back toward the barn.

"He wants to kill that kid?" Daryl asked.

Rick nodded.

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip as he thought. He'd been thinking about it all night. His curiosity was driving him crazy. He wanted to know the truth about Scarlett. Wanted to know if she was real. If she was, he could only imagine what she was going through.

"Just let me go see if there's a camp. You ain't gotta go, I'm better on my own," Daryl muttered.

"You can't be serious Daryl?"

"Naw, I'll be fine. You gotta stay here."

"What if T-dog or Glen go with you?" Rick suggested.

Daryl shook his head quickly. "Better on my own. I ain't getting involved with nobody no ways. I'm gone see if the kid was telling the truth. See if there's a camp then we'll figure something else out."

Rick nodded. "If Scarlett is there I think we can trust Randall. If those men really have her I'm thinkin Randall ain't gonna wanna go buddy up with them again. Alright. You go, but be careful. Don't let em see you."

Daryl laid his crossbow in the passenger side and walked around to the driver side. He climbed in and shut the door, quickly starting the truck.

* * *

Sticks scratched Scarlett's hands and arms as she held them out to shield her face. Her heart pounded in her chest. She gasped to fill her lungs back with air and keep her quick pace. Knowing it wouldn't be long before they knew she was gone, she knew slowing down wasn't an option. She grasped her boots tightly in one hand, not even having time to stop and put them on her bare feet. After a week of being held captive, she'd taken the only chance to escape she'd been given. One slip up of tying the rope around her hands a little looser than usual and she was gone. Scarlett let out a sharp gasp as a prickly vine caught her curly hair. Her panicky hands struggled to untangle herself. She was beginning to feel lightheaded, assuming that it was from the lack of food and water she'd been given over the course of a week. She pulled her hair out of the vine's grasp and started running again, attempting to make up for lost time.

* * *

Daryl stepped quietly and swiftly through the woods after leaving the truck parked on the highway. He kept his crossbow ready as he surveyed the area. What happened to him being done looking for people? Here he was once again on a wild goose chase for a girl. The slight breeze rustled the dry leaves in the trees above him, breaking his thoughts. He kept walking, not even sure what his plan was. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to catch a glimpse of the campsite.

Daryl crouched quickly at the sound of something moving quickly, crashing through the dry leaves. It wasn't close but he knew it was headed his way. He darted behind a the mess of tangled roots of a fallen tree, completely hiding himself. He automatically worried that he'd made a big mistake. Obviously the group had guards watching the surrounding woods. He was stupid to think sneaking up to the back of their camp early in the morning was a good idea. He focused his eyes on the thick undergrowth of the woods where the person or thing was getting closer. Quick distinct footsteps were quickly becoming noticeable to his trained ears. He lowered his crossbow as a girl burst through a thick wall of brush. He froze, completely surprised. Curly brown hair, definitely panicked and in a hurry? She could only be one person. Scarlett. Daryl tossed his crossbow aside. The girl was moving fast and in his direction, darting around trees and jumping over obstacles in the think undergrowth as her boots hung in her hand by her ripped jeans. He started thinking quickly, trying to think of a way to get her attention, but a thought crossed his mind. If she was running, it was probably for a reason. He knew he needed her attention quickly and quietly. As she passed by his hiding spot, Daryl leapt out and grabbed her, quickly silencing a shrill scream that erupted from her throat by clamping his hand over her mouth. It seemed like a good idea at the moment but he regretted it as soon as he grabbed her. She kicked against him and fought as he wrapped his other arm around her waist. His hand could barely muffle the screams as she struggled to unwrap his arm from around her.

"Calm the fuck down!" he grunted.

She wiggled and twisted her body, sending them both falling to the ground. A yelp escaped her mouth as his hand left it to catch himself and keep from falling on her. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her down on her back, straddling her legs to keep her from kicking him.

"Don't bring me back!" She shrieked. "Let me go please!"

Daryl grabbed her bracelet covered wrists with one hand and clamped the other back over her mouth.

"Shut up!" he growled. "Calm the fuck down girl."

He looked back down at her. She was breathing hard, staring back up at him with wide blue eyes. A look of defeat washed over her face as she went still underneath him.

"I ain't with them," he said quickly, realizing that his intentions didn't look so good from her position. "I'm tryin to help you. I ain't from that group."

"I'm gonna take my hand off your mouth but don't fuckin scream again do you hear me?" he asked, lowering his voice.

She nodded quickly and he released her mouth.

"Are you Scarlett?" he demanded.

"Yes," she answered breathlessly."Damn. You are real."

"What? What do you want?" she stammered.

Daryl stared back at her, still in shock that he'd found her so quickly. Here she was, the girl he though didn't exist, laying on the ground right underneath him.

"Hell, this was easier than I thought," he muttered under his breath. Her light blue eyes glared back up at him and her brown curly hair was splayed out, tangled with bits of pine straw and leaves from their struggle. His eyes trailed down her neck and bare shoulders left uncovered by her tank top. She had a few stray bruises. Some were fresher than others. He eased his weight off of her small figure, feeling a little guilty that he'd treated her roughly. It was obvious she'd been treated that way for a while. He let go of her wrists, realizing that they already had dark finger grip shaped bruises on them.

"What are you doing? How do you know me?" she asked nervously.

Daryl stared back at her, still too shocked to explain, let alone introduce himself.

"Just get the hell off me!" she shrieked.

Daryl clamped his hand back over her mouth. "Hold on shhh," he ordered quickly as he strained his ears. He looked around, sure that he'd heard footsteps again.

"Were they chasing you?" he whispered nervously. She shrugged her shoulders beneath him as a loud branch cracked in the direction she had come.

He leaned in closer to her quickly. "Listen to me, we gotta get outta here. When I let you go you gotta follow me," he whispered quietly.

"Who the hell are you?" A man's voice made Daryl let go of Scarlett immediately and turn around. He felt his blood run cold. The man had just stepped out of the woods behind them, wearing a dirty wife beater and stained jeans. Daryl sized him up quickly. The man was toned and scruffy looking. He had long greasy blonde hair sticking out of a dirty camouflage cap, but what bothered Daryl the most was his hand resting on a pistol sticking out of the waist of his pants.

* * *

The stranger that had Scarlett pinned to the ground let go of her and quickly dove toward the hiding place he'd grabbed her from. Scarlett scrambled to her feet as he jumped to his feet with a crossbow in his hands. She took a few nervous steps back while he pointed the crossbow at the same time the man they all called Dee pointed his pistol. Scarlett was confused. She was unsure of what to do. Should she just run? The man had said he was trying to help but was it right to leave him?

"Who the hell are you man? Attacking my girl out here in the woods?" Dee asked. Scarlett turned and started back in the direction she'd first come, skidding to a halt on the slick pine straw as another man, Bruce, stepped out of the brush. He lunged for her and she attempted to run back toward the man with the crossbow. Bruce grabbed her before she could get back, holding her much like the stranger had. One dirty hand covered her mouth and the other wrapped around her waist and held her back tightly to his body.

"Tell him to fuckin let her go," the stranger with the crossbow growled. "I wasn't attacking her."

"Just ain't got no manners do ya? See a pretty little thing running through the woods and ya just gotta get yourself a piece huh?" Dee asked the stranger. "No self control,' he muttered, still holding pistol out.

Scarlett's eyes left Dee as she saw another man from the group, Chad, sneaking toward the unsuspecting man with the crossbow.

"No!" Scarlett shrieked, her voice sounding muffled by Bruce's hand. Both Dee and the stranger turned anyway. The man let a crossbow bolt fly, sending Chad sprawling on the ground. She heard Chad cry out but jerked her attention back to Dee and the stranger, now rolling on the ground. Fists flew, and they both groped for Dee's pistol that had fallen out of the reach of them both.

"Hey what's going on out here?" Scarlett struggled against Bruce's strong grasp as another man, Sunny, broke through the brush.

Scarlett watched the stranger as he began to get the upper hand on Dee.

"Get the fuckin gun!" Bruce yelled to Sunny. The young black man darted around the struggling men on the ground and scooped up the gun.

"Who the hell are you? Sunny growled as he pointed the gun into the stranger's back.

"Stop it!" Scarlett shrieked.

Dee leapt up from the ground sporting a bloody nose. Sunny passed the gun back to him and pulled his own gun out of the waistband of his jeans as he did.

"He shot me in the leg with the fuckin arrow!" Chad's strangled voice carried from behind an area of heavy brush.

"You know him?" Dee asked as he aimed his gun at the man, just like Sunny was. "Why are you trying to save his ass?"

Scarlett thought fast. She didn't know him but should she say she did? How was she going to help him?

She shook her head.

"Well I ain't really understandin this. Are you Bruce?" Dee asked. "Let's run through this again," he muttered as he motioned with his pistol. " You made a fuckin run for it and ran into this sick fuck here in the woods. I'm just a little surprised that he had ya down. I'm thinkin you do know him, otherwise you wouldn't care if we shot his ass down. What'd we tell you about lying bitch?"

"She doesn't know me," the man blurted out breathlessly as Scarlett's eyes met his again. He moved onto his knees but stayed on the ground."I don't know about that man," Dee muttered. "She's feisty as hell, but you looked like you had her under control when I got up here."

"If he was trying to rape you then we'll kill his ass right here," Dee threatened.

"He wasn't," Scarlett stammered.

"Well I guess you know him then," Dee spat.

"I don't," she said quickly. "I swear!" Panic strangled her voice as Bruce gripped her hair and jerked her head back, stretching out her neck. She felt the familiar coldness of a knife against her skin immediately.

"What are you trying to be her knight in shining armor or something?" Dee asked the man. "You've done got me interested here so tell me….What were you doing? Were you trying to save her?"

"Just let her go!" the man ordered.

Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut as she felt the sharp blade press harder against her neck.

"You better listen to Dee, man," Bruce interrupted. "I'll slice open this pretty little neck in a heartbeat. "We can always find another bitch."

"Well hold on a second, Bruce," Dee interrupted. "She ain't yours to be sacrificing. I ain't through with her yet."

"What's his name?" Bruce growled in her ear, the blade stinging the soft skin of her neck made her cry out.

"Bruce!" Dee roared. "You kill her and you're gonna find me one just as pretty as she is ya hear?"

"I don't know his name," she choked out. "I swear."

"You stupid cunt!" Bruce let go of her and shoved her to the ground. She landed hard on her hands and knees.

"It's Daryl!" the man blurted out. "Leave her the hell alone!"

"Daryl? I wanted to hear it from her!" Dee growled.

"You best let us go or you're gonna have a whole army comin down on your asses," Daryl threatened. "My group knows where your camp is. They know me and her are here."

Scarlett looked back at him, trying to figure out where he'd come from. She didn't know him, had never known or heard of anybody named Daryl. Who was his group and how did he know her?

* * *

Daryl tried to ignore his stinging side from Dee's blows as he looked up at him and the man called Sunny. They kept their pistols pointed at him. These men were rough. They reminded him of Merle's no good friends. They way they tossed Scarlett around as if she wasn't worth a thing made him sick. It was beginning to look like his mission had turned into a suicide one. He had already failed that girl like he had Sophia.

"What are the odds that you would escape about the same time "this stranger"," Dee emphasized the words, "Would be out here, huh bitch?"

Daryl scowled at the men, realizing that he was causing more trouble for the girl that he'd attempted to rescue.

"He shot me in the leg with a fuckin arrow," the man stumbled out of the brush, holding his bloodied leg. "Shoot his ass up right now!" he yelled.

"Yeah let's just kill him," Sunny muttered.

"Naw," Dee smirked. "We're bringing him back to camp. I ain't done with him yet. Grab their shit, Chad," he motioned to Daryl's crossbow and Scarlett's boots.

"That asshole shot me in the leg Dee!" Chad yelled.

"You pulled the arrow out didn't you?" Dee snapped.

"Yeah but,"

"Well get their fuckin shit before I put a bullet in it too!"

The other men snickered at Chad as he limped over to pick up the crossbow.

"No!" Daryl heard Scarlett's panicked shriek again right before he felt a brutal blow on the side of his head.

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	3. Chapter 3

Scarlett pulled her arms against the tight rope that kept them angled uncomfortably behind her back. She eventually gave up and leaned her body back against the wall. Her eyes went back to the man named Daryl. He hadn't moved since Dee and his friends had tied them both up and tossed them inside the room that had quickly become her jail cell. By now there were bits of dried blood along his hairline from the blow Dee had dealt him.

The voices of the other men boomed from the living room where she knew they were drinking. They always celebrated with the alcohol they snatched from a bar in the town they'd found her in. Scarlett wished that Daryl would wake up. She was still curious, not really understanding how he'd known her name and why he'd tackled her in the woods.

"Daryl?" she called softly, making sure that the men in the other room wouldn't be able to hear. She scooted across the floor and nudged him with her bound ankles. She stopped, watching his body rise and fall with each breath but he still didn't wake up.

"Hey wake up," she murmured as she nudged him harder.

* * *

"What the hell?" Daryl growled as he struggled against his rope and attempted to sit up.

"Shh!" Scarlett ordered.

He stared back at her. "Where the hell are we?"

"They're gonna hear you!" she hissed.

Daryl glared back at her, still attempting to loosen the rope that bound his wrists. He focused on a reddened, whelp on the side of her face.

"Dammnit!" he muttered angrily. "Where are we?" he looked around the almost totally bare room. A bed with disarrayed sheets sat against one wall, and a small upright dresser stood against another.

"How do you know me Daryl?" Scarlett asked him, completely ignoring his questions.

"I don't," he grunted.

Scarlett squinted back at him. "What the hell man?"

"Randall," he said simply.

"Randall? He sent you?" Scarlett asked excitedly. "Where is he? They told me he died. They said they left him."

"He's back with my group," he muttered.

"He sent you to come back and get me?" she asked.

"Somethin like that." Daryl looked back at her, tied up the exact same way as him. The tight rope dug into his wrists and ankles as he tried to loosen it.

"Randall's okay though?" she asked nervously.

"He's fine," Daryl grunted. "I think you should be more worried about yourself right now."

He thought back to Randall, tied up in the barn. Was this how he felt? He definitely understood why the boy was so anxious to find Scarlett. The men in this group were crazy and Scarlett looked like the exact kind of girl you wouldn't see around guys like that. Maybe that was why they'd snatched her up so quickly and claimed her as theirs.

"I was doing just fine by myself you know," she murmured. "They wouldn't have caught me."

"How'd you get outta here last time?" he asked quickly, trying desperately to come up with a plan in his head.

"Chad. You know the guy you shot with your arrow? He tied my rope a little loose and I skipped out on em. Went out the window."

Daryl's eyes flicked to the window, noticing the split wood from nails being driven in to hold it in place.

"They fixed it," she muttered.

"Son of a bitch," Daryl growled.

"You didn't have to tackle me out there ya know? I've never seen a rescuer who does that," she stared back at him suspisously with her light blue eyes.

Scarlett jumped when the door swung open. A man stepped in, a bottle of alcohol in his hand.

"Finally up I see," the man muttered. Daryl recognized him as the man who'd grabbed Scarlett in the woods. They'd called him Bruce. He was wearing an unbuttoned red flannel shirt, rolled up to his elbows. His bare skin with some sort of chest tattoo could be seen underneath. He looked older than Dee, with a scruffy brown beard that matched his messy but short brown hair. His eyes fell on Scarlett and Daryl watched something in the man's face change. It was a sick grin. One that made him want to punch the man in the face.

"You want some?" Bruce sneered at Scarlett. Daryl watched her stone faced expression as Bruce stepped closer to her and held the bottle up to her lips.

"Open that pretty little mouth," he growled. He jerked her head back by her hair, making her cry out. He took the opportunity to force the bottle back to her lips. The alcohol trickled down her chin when she attempted to pull away.

"Hey!" Daryl growled, making him turn from Scarlett.

"What the hell do you want?" Bruce spat. "You don't want me to touch her?"

"Bruce! Better leave Dee's girl alone! He said wait till he finishes his beer to deal with that prick in there," a man's voice boomed from the other room. "You know you ain't supposed to mess with her."

Bruce licked the alcohol off of his own lips as he stood up. "I'll be back sweetheart," he muttered and walked back to the door.

He shut the door behind him and Daryl looked back to Scarlett. She rubbed her face against her shoulder, wiping the alcohol off of her lips.

"How many are out there?" Daryl finally asked.

"A lot…." she murmured as she looked at the floor. "I haven't even seen them all. I think Dee's little group is in charge. They keep me away from the everybody else."

"I thought they were in tents. I didn't think ya'll were staying in houses," Daryl muttered.

"The other men stay in tents. Dee and his group stay in here. They found this right before they found me…" Scarlett fell silent as the door swung open again.

Daryl watched Dee step in the room. He ran a hand through his greasy blond hair while he shut the door. It seemed to be a habit he had.

He knelt down beside Scarlett, looking back at Daryl before he grabbed her face and kissed her.

"Stop it!" her voice was muffled against his lips.

Dee gasped and reared back as his hand quickly went to his own mouth.

"You stupid bitch!" Dee spat a mouthful of blood onto the floor.

Daryl could see bright blood on her lips.

"You tryin to show out for him or something?" Dee asked as he stood up, still holding his hand over his mouth. He kicked Scarlett's thigh with his boot clad foot, sending her falling onto her side on the hard wood floor with a strangled yelp.

Daryl gritted his teeth together.

"I've been taking care of you girl, keeping you away from all them other men out there in camp and this is how you repay me? You're gonna run off and then fuckin bite me? I'll throw you out to them men like fresh meat to a pack of wolves. You hear me?"

Scarlett looked up at him from the floor.

"I'll just send Bruce in here. He likes you. Always finds an excuse to mess with you. I'll just let you be his problem from now on. How about that? You ain't caused me nothing but trouble. Can't trust you to do nothing but sit in this room. Can't let you cook us food or fix us nothing cause your too damn sneaky."

Dee turned from Scarlett and met Daryl's eyes. "She's only good for one thing."

"So Daryl? Are you her guardian angel or something? I mean what the hell dude?" Scarlett stayed on the ground, watching Dee nervously.

"Ya got a vest all decked out with angel wings on the back," Dee muttered. "But you don't look like a guardian angel. I think ya just want her to yourself. Is that what ya want? You can have her right now if ya want. Maybe it'll teach her a lesson."

Daryl bit his tongue as Dee continued.

Dee smirked back at her. "He was all over you in the woods earlier wasn't he girl? Ain't nobody gonna treat you as good as I do Scarlett, but since you're so damn unappreciative I'll show you just how bad you can have it."

Scarlett cringed as Dee bent down beside her. He grabbed the rope that bound her feet and attempted to drag her across the floor.

"Stop it! Let go of me!" She choked out as her arms dragged underneath her body across the rough, wooden floor.

"What the hell are you doing?" Daryl yelled. "Let her go."

Dee dropped her feet back to the floor beside the bed and took a step back.

Daryl could feel his anger rising as Dee grinned back at him.

"Oh you don't like this man? You don't wanna see her roughed up? I'll make a deal with ya. Tell me where the hell you came from and if we should be expecting anymore of ya. She says she doesn't know you but that don't make a lick of sense. Were you in a group with her or something?"

Daryl turned back to Scarlett, trying to decide if he should say anything.

"Tell me or I'll let Bruce do whatever the hell he wants to with her. I swear I will. He's been wanting her since we found her. I think it's about time to let somebody else have a few turns with her. Hell, she'll probably come running back to me after she has a few go rounds with some of these guys."

"Randall sent me," Daryl said quickly. He didn't see any harm in pinning it on Randall at the moment.

"Randall? That little wimp?" Dee laughed. "He couldn't save her himself so he sent you? That's funny."

He turned back to the door.

"Hey Bruce, it's finally your lucky day man. Get in here. You can have her. When you get done with her we're gonna do something with this prick."

Scarlett struggled to sit up as Bruce bounded back through the door. Daryl felt a wave of panic as the man stopped in the doorway.

"Hey you said you weren't gonna fuckin touch her!" Daryl roared.

"Make it quick, Bruce," Dee muttered. "We still gotta deal with him. I wanna find out where Randall went to."

"Just take him now," Bruce suggested. "Give us some privacy."

"Naw, let him stay. Ain't shy are you Bruce?" Dee smiled as he stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

Bruce grinned back down at Scarlett who was now leaning against one of the bed posts. She looked like an animal caught in a trap. Her eyes were wide as they met Daryl's. He felt sick, realizing the trouble he was causing for the both of them.

Bruce pulled her up roughly by her arms and tossed her on the bed.

"Stop it!" she choked out.

Daryl tore his eyes away from the bed as he bit down hard on the inside of his cheek. What was he even doing here? He didn't want to be a fly on the wall during this.

"Hey you know what'll be fun?" Daryl turned at the sound of Bruce's voice. "I'm gonna untie you."

Bruce pulled a knife out of the sheath hanging from his belt and sliced the rope that held her arms behind her back. He grabbed her feet next and sliced that rope too. He stood tall and proud beside the bed as he slipped the knife back in it's sheath.

Daryl watched the man, trying to decide why he would untie her. He hoped that this worked as an advantage to her but he had his doubts.

"Go ahead and fight me," Bruce smirked. "I like that."

Scarlett didn't move from her place on the bed and Daryl struggled with his ropes again, knowing that this was going to escalate quickly.

Bruce leapt onto the bed, quickly pinning her legs down and reaching for her arms.

"Get off me!" Scarlett shrieked as she wiggled and fought beneath him. Daryl cringed as Bruce's hand connected with her face, the noise echoed in the room.

He heard a few voices outside the door. Some men laughed and some cheered Bruce on through the door.

Daryl focused his eyes on a small scratch on the wooden floorboards as he listened to Scarlett struggle against Bruce. He heard his hand as it connected with her face again.

"You tired of fighting?" Bruce growled.

Her tank top hit the ground right beside the bed.

Daryl stole a quick nervous glance back at them. Bruce held one of her arms above her head and a wad of her hair in his other hand as he straddled her legs, keeping her still underneath him. The hand that Bruce wasn't holding down, she held against his chest, weakly attempting to push him away as she tried not to look at his face. The only article of clothing she was missing was her tank top, leaving a pink bra revealed.

Daryl tore his eyes away once again. He shouldn't be here. Why hadn't just stayed at camp. Maybe she would've gotten away. It's not like he had done her any good by finding her. He listened to string after string of insults that Bruce hurled at Scarlett and the noise of him sucking noisily on her skin. He couldn't make himself look back their way.

"No!" Scarlett shrieked, her voice muffled out once again.

"Hey!" Bruce yelled.

Daryl bit down hard on his bottom lip until he tasted the metallic taste of blood when he heard a grunt and gasp from Bruce. He could only imagine that he was getting what he'd wanted. Daryl knew he'd rather be anywhere but here. He'd rather be back at the farm hearing Lori bitch about everything and have Carol drill him about his feelings than be here while this girl got raped.

Daryl's eyes were torn away from the scratch on the floorboards when he heard Scarlett let out a strangled cry. Bruce landed on his back on the floor with a thud.

"Holy Shit!" Daryl yelled as he saw the blood spilling from Bruce's neck. The man gurgled and groaned as he tried to pull himself up, slipping on his own blood as he did.

Scarlett's breathing sounded labored as she sat up looked over the edge of the bed. Blood covered her chest, bra, stomach, and even her jeans as she held Bruce's own bloody knife in her hands. She let it fall from her hands and clatter to the floor beside the man's still gasping body.

"Holy Shit," Daryl gasped again. "You…you fuckin killed him."

He stared back at Scarlett, still almost fully clothed, realizing that Bruce's gasping and grunting had obviously been her taking a slice at his neck.

Scarlett took a shaky breath as she looked down at Bruce.

Bruce's hands tightened around his own neck as he got up on his knees, still slipping on his own blood.

"Undo my hands!" Daryl hissed.

Scarlett quickly picked up the bloodied knife and hurried over to him. She knelt down and moved behind him to work on his hands. Daryl could feel her hands shaking as she tried to keep the knife steady enough to saw through the rope. He finally felt the rope slip off of his hands and snatched the knife from her to cut the rope at his feet. He watched Bruce out of the corner of his eye as he sawed through the taut rope. Scarlett moved to the door and locked it as Bruce lifted himself up more.

"Help!" Bruce gasped quietly and throatily. The panicked man began slowly dragging himself across the slippery floor to the door.

Daryl leapt up as soon as the rope fell away and hovered over Bruce. Scarlett backed away as he flipped the man back onto his back. He raised the knife and plunged it deep into Bruce's chest, aiming for his heart. The only thing running through his mind was killing the man quickly to keep the others from hearing any struggle. He stared down at the man's wide eyes until they fluttered a little and finally froze.

"We've gotta get outta here!" Scarlett whispered quietly.

Daryl turned back to face her. She bent over and picked up her tank top, quickly slipping it back over her head and covering up her bloody bra and chest.

He jerked the knife back out of Bruce and stood up. His eyes automatically went to the window.

The doorknob jiggled, making both he and Scarlett whirl back to face it.

"Hey Bruce, You almost done man? Dee wants us to get rid of that asshole in there. Why'd you lock the door?"

Scarlett's wide eyes met Daryl's as he struggled to think of a plan.

"Bruce?" the man's voice asked again.

Daryl moved closer to Scarlett. "Scream, or holler or something," he whispered quickly.

Scarlett shook her head quickly. "No, I can't."

"You have too!" Daryl hissed.

"Bruce you alright?"

Daryl grabbed Scarlett's arm and covered her mouth with the palm of his hand. "Scream or say something," he muttered through his gritted teeth.

Scarlett's eyes met his again.

"fuckin Now!" he hissed.

"Stop it!….. No!" She yelled against his hand, ending it with a muffled scream.

Scarlett's eyes met Daryl's as the man's voice made them both freeze again.

"Just hurry the hell up Bruce."

* * *

She let out a sigh of relief and Daryl released her. He moved on to the window as she looked back down at Bruce's lifeless body on the floor. Slipping his knife out of his sheath at his waist had been so easy. Almost too easy. He never even noticed that she had it until it was too late. Her entire body felt sticky with Bruce's blood. She'd killed him…partly….well if Daryl hadn't stepped in he still would've died.

Daryl tried to lift up the wooden window. He pulled on it and messed with the nails, attempting to jar them loose. She moved closer to Daryl, inspecting the window as he jiggled it.

"Where do they keep the weapons?" Daryl asked, not looking up from his work on the window.

"They left your crossbow outside," Scarlett blurted out quickly as she remembered.

"Where?" he demanded as he gave the window one last pull. The window came up, surprising the both of them.

"Chad dropped it out at the side of the house when we walked by. Right around the corner."

"Let me guess, Chad did this to the window too huh? He sure does a shitty job. Can't tie, or nail a window shut. We got lucky," he muttered.

"Listen to me," he whispered as he locked his blue eyes on hers. "You're gonna go first. I'll be behind you. Which way is the road from here?"

Scarlett pointed to the side.

"Run into the woods. I'll be behind you as soon as I grab my bow. If they see you keep running. Do you understand me? I have a truck parked out on the highway not far from here. Get to it."

Scarlett nodded quickly. "They're all camped on the other side of the house. I don't think they'll see me."

"Well get the hell outta here," he muttered gruffly as he motioned to the window.

Scarlett tossed a leg out of the window and sat on the window sill as she lowered herself down the few feet drop off. Her heart raced as she dropped to her hands and knees. She looked around nervously and then back to Daryl.

"Start runnin!" he hissed. "Now!"

Scarlett darted across the grown up yard, making her clear shot for the woods. She slowed her pace when she entered the woods, trying to make her crashing footsteps on the dry leaves quieter. She stopped when she was far enough into the woods where she wouldn't be seen and watched for Daryl. The smell of Bruce's blood invaded her nose, making her empty stomach churn. Her mouth was as dry as cotton, thanks to the alcohol and lack of water. She steadied herself on a small tree, feeling the same lightheaded feeling she'd felt when running earlier. Her vision started to get blurry and she closed her eyes quickly.

"Shit!"

Scarlett forced her eyes back open and jumped.

"What the fuck are you doin? I told you to run!" Daryl hissed. He motioned with the crossbow in his hands and stepped ahead of her.

"We've gotta get the fuck outta here!" he muttered. "C'mon!"

Scarlett followed Daryl numbly through the woods. She didn't even have time to worry about the men catching up to them. It took all of her remaining strength just to focus enough to follow Daryl through the overgrown woods. As the road finally came into view, she saw a blue truck parked on the highway, just like he said there would be. She stopped to latch on to a tree. Daryl burst through the branches and turned back to her.

"You comin or what?"

"Daryl," she murmured as everything began fading away again. "I can't.."

She felt herself losing the grasp she had on the tree and lowered herself to the ground.

_Please Review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thanks everyone for the reviews. I really, truely appreciate each and every one of them. Keep reviewing please. It makes me feel extremely accomplished that i have people interested in what i write._

Daryl groaned under his breath and hung his crossbow on his back. He hurried back into the edge of the woods where he'd seen Scarlett go down.

"Scarlett!" he hissed. "What the hell?"

He reached down and scooped her up quickly when he realized she was out cold. As he hurried back to the truck with her in his arms he looked down at her face. Her eyelids fluttered a little but stayed closed.

"Dammnit!" he cursed.

He flung open the passenger door and laid her on the seat, leaving her for a second to toss his crossbow in the back of the truck. He returned and slid her farther inside the truck so that he could shut the door. He ran around to truck to the driver side and flung open the door. Daryl stopped for a minute, trying to decide if he should go back around and prop her on the seat but finally decided to climb in and leave her head laying across his lap. Bruce's blood was now soaking through her white tank top and had gotten all over him as he carried her to the truck. Daryl rubbed his sticky hands on his jeans and reached for the key, quickly starting the truck. The only thing running through his mind was getting her back to the farm and to Hershel. There was obviously something wrong. Just looking at her laying unconscious across the seat, drenched in blood, made his heart race in his chest. She looked bad. Even though he knew the blood wasn't hers, it still made everything look worse. He flew down the highway, heading back to the farm, imagining what everyone would say when he showed up with her. Adrenaline coursed through his body, due to their narrow escape, making his thoughts flash quickly through his mind.

"Where…where am I?" Scarlett's weak voice made him glance back down at her head in his lap.

"I'm takin you back to my group," he said quickly, watching her eyelids flutter back shut. "They're gonna take care of ya," he added, not even sure that she heard him.

Daryl flew up the gravel driveway leading to the farm and parked the truck right up close to the porch. Carol and Maggie jumped up from their seats in the wooden porch rockers as he flung open his door.

"What's going on?" Carol asked nervously.

"Get Hershel," Daryl ordered. He slipped out from underneath Scarlett's head and climbed out. Maggie ran back inside the house but Carol stepped off the porch.

"Who is that?" she demanded.

Daryl ignored her and instead ran around to the passenger side. He slid her back off the truck seat and scooped her up.

"Daryl?" Scarlett whispered weakly.

"What's going on?" Lori yelled from the side of the house as she, Carl, and Shane jogged toward them.

"Oh my God, what happened to her?" Carol gasped as Daryl rounded the truck, heading quickly for the porch.

"It ain't her blood," Daryl snapped.

"That's the girl? That's Scarlett?" Shane demanded. "Is she bit?"

"She ain't bit," Daryl growled. He looked back up at the house in time to see Hershel hurrying out the door, followed by Rick.

"You found Scarlett?" Rick yelled.

Hershel stopped at the end of the porch. "What in God's name?"

"It ain't her blood," Daryl said again. "She just passed out."

"Bring her in one of the rooms," Hershel said quickly as he led the way back into the house. Daryl carried Scarlett passed everyone, ignoring their frantic questions.

"Lay her down," Hershel ordered as he tossed the covers off of the bed.

Daryl laid her down and stepped out of Hershel's way.

"Where did all of this blood come from?" Hershel demanded.

"It was somebody else's," Daryl muttered.

"Go get a washtub and some rags," Hershel ordered to Maggie. "Find Patricia and send her in here."

"We're going to look her over, make sure she isn't hurt anywhere," Hershel said. He turned back to Daryl. "You can wait in the living room."

Daryl turned and quickly left the room. As he stepped back into the living room he met everyone's wide eyes, full of concern and curiosity. He immediately felt embarrassed. Embarrassed that they'd seen him so worried about the girl. He cleared his throat nervously and sat down in a chair farthest away from everyone. Hershel closed the door to the bedroom and the living room erupted with everyone's voices.

"What the hell happened Daryl?" Rick asked. "What happened to her?"

Daryl took a deep breath, running back through all they'd been through in his mind.

"Who is this girl?" Lori asked quickly.

"Yeah why didn't we know Daryl was off looking for a girl?" Carol demanded. "Rick, why is it that Shane and Daryl were the only ones who knew about her?"

Daryl looked back to Rick who stood up from his spot on the couch.

"Randall told us there was a girl in trouble with his group. He said they snatched her up before he got left by them in town. He swore that he knew the girl and was worried about her," Rick stopped for a minute. "Me and Daryl were gonna go see if there was a girl, but Daryl decided to go by himself."

"We weren't gonna tell nobody because it seemed like a lie," Shane cut in. "Hell, why would we think he was telling the truth? Didn't wanna get everybody worried about a girl that probably didn't exist. Why are we always going on wild goose chases for girls?"

"But she does exist, Shane," Rick snapped. "She could've died if Daryl wouldn't have found her."

"I didn't know I was gonna find her," Daryl muttered. "I was only going to look at their camp but she was runnin through the woods. Had just got away from them."

Everyone turned to him as he started talking, even Shane was listening.

"Randall was right about one thing. There's a lot of em. They took us both and tied us up."

"How'd ya'll get away?" Rick asked.

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip. "She killed one of em. If she hadn't have done that we'd both still be there."

"She killed one of em?" Shane asked with a laugh. "That little unconscious thing in there? Damn."

Daryl nodded, not finding it as funny as Shane was. "He uh…she caught him off guard and got him with his own knife. That's where the blood came from."

"Don't you think someone should tell Randall she's alive?" Carol asked.

"Ya'll just cause we found her don't mean we can trust him," Shane muttered.

The bedroom door opened again and Hershel stepped into the living room.

"Rick," Hershel motioned to him as he shut the bedroom door behind him.

"Is she alright?" Daryl asked, quickly jumping to his feet.

Rick motioned for Daryl to follow as he got up to meet Hershel. Daryl followed the two of them into the kitchen.

"She's in and out. I believe she's dehydrated and malnourished. She's weak and bruised. I don't think she has any broken bones but where did all of the blood come from? You were right Daryl. I didn't see any open wounds on her," Hershel murmured.

"She killed one of the men, when he was…attackin her. She used his own damn knife. Pulled it out of his sheath." Daryl snapped his fingers. "Just like that. She cut him"

Hershel raised his eyebrows.

"She up now?" Daryl asked, quickly changing the subject.

"Yeah kind of. I left the girls to finish cleaning the blood off of her and finish changing her into fresh clothes. She's definitely been through hell. Beaten and…I saw enough to get an idea of what she's been through."

"It's a good thing you found her Daryl," Rick murmured.

"How long did you both say she was with this group?" Hershel asked. "Because she has scars on her wrists. Clean cuts. They're old though. Maybe they were already there."

"I saw finger bruises," Daryl murmured. "I didn't see cuts."

"He said she'd been with them about a week," Rick explained.

"Maybe the cuts were there before. I saw the bruises," Hershel said softly. "She has bruises all over. The finger pad bruises are pretty bad on her wrists and thighs though. I'd say she's been sexually assaulted, which isn't a big surprise. Just unsettling. How did you all know where she was? This was the girl that the boy in the barn had been talking about?"

Daryl turned and left the room when Rick started explaining once again what Randall had told him. He knew he wasn't needed. He didn't plan on retelling the story of their escape to anyone anyway.

As he passed back through the living room he caught bits and pieces of everyone's conversations.

"You saw her. How do we know that Randall wasn't in on beating her too?" Shane muttered. "Just cause we found her don't mean we can trust him."

Daryl passed by them and headed out the door. He looked back to the barn, thinking about Randall still tied up and totally in the dark about Scarlett. He deserved to know she was safe but he didn't want to be the one to tell him. How was he supposed to go in there and tell him that he'd found Scarlett but she was laid up in one of the bedrooms beat up? He wouldn't be the one, he decided. Rick would do it.

* * *

Scarlett fidgeted with the bracelets at her wrists. She felt a little better already. Just having most of the blood and dirt off of her sore body had helped a lot. Now that she was changed into one of the women of the group's shorts and a t-shirt she could see the dark bruises on her legs and the new ones from being kicked around by Dee. Maggie and Patricia, two women of the group had gotten her partly washed off by the time she'd woken up. She freaked out, not wanting them to see the marks that Dee and his men had left on her. To make matters worse, the bracelets had been removed from her wrists, leaving one of her deepest secrets revealed. They were understanding, letting her take over cleaning herself off with the washrags and tub and put the bracelets back over the scars that covered the underside of her wrists. They didn't ask questions, only told her to stay in bed and that they would bring her something to eat and drink. Scarlett hated the way they looked at her.

She assumed by now, the entire group knew what Dee and his men had done to her. That hurt her more than the fact that they had hurt her. It was one of those things she wouldn't have told if she had the choice. She would have kept it a secret, but Daryl had seen first hand how they treated her. She would have rathered to suffer alone. Things were easier that way. They also probably had their idea of how weak of a person she was. The Doctor and two women had seen the scars hidden beneath her bracelets. She imagined that they had told the group about them. They felt sorry for her, but that wasn't the only thing bothering her. She'd drilled the young girl named Maggie about Randall, finding out that he was tied up in the barn. The girl explained that it was a precaution that the men of the group had come up with. Scarlett knew that she needed to talk to him. She at least needed to talk the men into letting him go. He wasn't dangerous. He needed to know that she was okay. Her eyes dropped back down to her bracelets. She had five on each wrist. A think leather one that covered the largest scar and smaller brightly colored ones that kept most of the others covered. Although the bracelets covered the scars, they didn't cover the finger shaped bruises splotched onto the pale, tender skin of her wrists. Scarlett wanted to get away from these people. She appreciated the help they were trying to give, but she didn't like the sympathy.

Scarlett glanced up as the door slowly opened. Maggie carried a tray of food and another woman with short gray hair followed her in, carrying a glass of water.

"How are you doing?" Maggie asked.

"Fine," Scarlett murmured.

The women laid the tray and glass beside the bed on the nightstand and stepped back.

"Hi Scarlett, I'm Carol," the older woman said softly as she stepped forward.

Scarlett nodded back to her.

"If you need anything," Maggie started.

"Actually," Scarlett interrupted her. "I want to talk to Randall."

Maggie froze. "Scarlett I don't think the men are going to let you go out there. I know my dad won't. You're too weak to walk out to the barn."

Scarlett let out a deep breath. "Can you at least tell him that I'm okay. Don't tell him anything you've heard from Daryl, Please. He'll think it's all his fault."

"We're not allowed out there either," Maggie murmured. "Rick, Shane, and Daryl are the only ones who go out there."

"He's not dangerous!" Scarlett said quickly. "I don't understand why you all treat him like he is. Daryl said he asked him to go and find me. That has to show something."

"I'm sorry Scarlett," Carol cut in.

"Can you send Daryl in?" Scarlett asked hopefully.

Maggie shook her head as she turned back to Carol. Scarlett let her shoulders sag against the pillows.

"I'll talk to him," Carol said softly. "I'll send him in here."

"Okay," Maggie said. "Try and eat something, while we're gone."

Scarlett nodded to them and they both left the room.

* * *

Daryl pretended to fiddle with his crossbow when he noticed Carol making her way through the pasture to his secluded campsite. He couldn't stop thinking about the close encounter he'd had with the group of men. Scarlett had made him look like a wimp, taking care of the Bruce guy by herself and then having to untie him like he was the one who'd been kidnapped the whole time. If it hadn't been for her, it was no telling where he'd be. He was a little surprised at how strong she'd been after hearing Hershel explain the extent of her injuries. She hadn't been timid or weak even though she'd been beaten, raped, and dying of hunger and thirst. He finally had to leave the house. Hearing over and over again that if it hadn't been for him she would probably be dead made him feel pretty bad. He was the one who had gotten them both captured. She was, just like she'd said, getting away when he'd tackled her in the woods. The more he thought about it, She was the one who'd saved the both of them.

"Daryl?"

Daryl looked up at Carol. She stood with her arms crossed in front of her, standing against the darkening sky.

"What?" Daryl grumbled.

"Scarlett wants to see you."

"Why?" Daryl spat as he tossed his crossbow aside.

"I think she wants to talk about Randall. We already told her that he was being kept away for precaution and she isn't terribly upset, but she wants to talk to you," she explained.

"Get Rick to talk to her. It's mostly Shane still bitchin about keeping him in there. I ain't got no say in it. Don't care neither."

"Daryl, you're the one that went out there and found her. I'm sure she would rather talk to you than either of them," Carol argued.

Daryl grunted. "I done my part. I brought her back here. Get Rick to talk to her."

"After all she's been through you won't even go talk to her?" Carol snapped. "You were the only one thoughtful enough to go out and find her, just like you looked for Sophia. We know you care Daryl. You can't hide it. I don't know why you do."

Daryl jumped up. "Why the hell are you bringing her up again?"

Carol stared back at him.

"I'll fuckin talk to her," Daryl snapped. "But this is the last damn errand I'm gonna run or do for any of you."

He started back through the pasture, muttering under his breath the entire way. He turned back halfway to the house, noticing Carol still standing, arms crossed across her chest in the exact spot he'd left her.

When he opened the door, he was glad to see that no one was in the living room. He assumed everyone had retired to their tents already. The door to Scarlett's room was cracked. Daryl froze in front of it, unsure of what to say or do. Was he supposed to knock or just go in?

He finally rapped softly on the door and held his breath as he awaited an answer.

_Please review! _


	5. Chapter 5

"You can come in," Scarlett's voice answered automatically, surprising Daryl.

He pushed the door open and stepped in, suddenly feeling awkward. Scarlett was propped up on pillows. The only light in the room was coming from a lamp beside the bed. She was wearing a bright pink t-shirt, obviously one of Hershel's daughter's things. Her wavy brown hair fell over her shoulders, covering up most of the shirt and keeping Daryl from reading the white words that covered the front.

"Hey," she murmured softly when their eyes met.

Daryl cleared his throat and nodded back at her. Even with the dim lamplight he could see that red mark on the side of her face had turned into a bruise.

"They won't let me out of bed," she said lightly.

"Well you're supposed to be restin," He murmured.

"I know," she said quickly. "You've got to talk your people into letting Randall out of the barn. Maggie and Patricia told me everything. He isn't dangerous."

Daryl shoved his hands in his pockets. "It ain't my choice."

"What do you mean?" Scarlett asked.

"If you want him out of the barn you gotta talk to Rick or Shane. Just talk to Rick," he suggested.

Scarlett laid back against her pillows. "Will you at least tell him that I'm okay?"

Daryl watched Scarlett fidget with the bracelets at her wrists. She finally brought her eyes back up to meet his. "Please."

He chewed on his bottom lip. The last place he wanted to go was back to the barn. He wanted to be finished with her and Randall both.

"Please Daryl," Scarlett murmured. "Or….I'll just go," she tossed the blankets off of her legs and slung them over the edge of the bed.

"Whoa no," Daryl said quickly, making her stop in her place. He could see the bruising that stained the light skin of her legs.

"I'll fuckin go," he grumbled angrily. "Just stay in bed. Hershel's gonna have both our asses if I let you go."

Daryl turned for the door, anxious to finally be making his escape.

"Daryl?"

Scarlett was laid back against the pillows and covered back up when he turned back to face her.

"Don't tell what you saw. Just tell him I'm okay. Nothing else. Not about Bruce or Dee or anything."

Daryl chewed on the inside of his cheek, noticing the change in her expression.

"If he asks, they didn't touch me."

He gave her a slight nod.

"Oh and you can tell your group that I appreciate everything," she took a deep breath. "And I'll be gone as soon as I can."

Daryl stopped, taken by surprise at her readiness to leave. He opened his mouth to say something, but stopped himself.

"He'll think it's all his fault so just tell him I'm okay," she murmured again. She looked down at her hands in her lap.

Daryl turned and walked out the door, already dreading what he'd just promised her. He didn't feel like the right one to talk to Randall.

Daryl passed quietly through the empty living room and stepped out onto the porch. The dim light from a lantern caught his attention from across the yard.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Shane's voice carried from the barn where he was dragging Carl away from the doors.

"What happened?" Rick called out as he jogged toward them.

Shane dragged Carl onto the porch and finally let go of him.

"Carl was talking to the prisoner."

"I..I wasn't….," he stuttered quickly.

"Shane, he isn't a prisoner," Rick muttered. "I think we can trust him."

Shane shook his head. Daryl stepped off the porch, not wanting to listen to Shane and Rick argue over Randall once again.

"Has anyone told him that the girl is alive?" Daryl finally asked from the ground, interrupting their arguments.

Rick and Shane both looked back at him.

"I did," Carl said.

Daryl's eyes fell on the boy. "What'd you say?"

"I just told him that you found Scarlett and that Hershel was taking care of her."

"Alright," Daryl muttered, satisfied with the boy's answer. He headed back out toward his secluded camp, happy that he didn't have to talk to Randall after all.

* * *

Scarlett listened to the others in the house settle into their rooms. Hershel and his daughter Maggie had checked in on her and then turned in themselves. She hated the way her face burned with the embarrassment she couldn't hide when they looked at her. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind and instead thought about Randall. He was a victim in this as much as she was. It wasn't his fault his group had taken her. Randall wasn't like them. The way Dee and his men talked about Randall made her sure that he never stooped to the lows the men were at. He was a weakling to them. She'd gone to school her whole life with him. He'd never been anything but nice to her. After all, if he was like them he wouldn't have sent Daryl to find her and bring her back. She could only imagine what he was thinking, locked away in the barn. Had Daryl done what she asked? Had he told him that she was okay?

Scarlett listened, not hearing anything but silence from the house as she thought about heading to the barn herself. It was late. She knew that. After a few more minutes, she tossed the blankets aside and climbed out of bed. Her bare feet touched the cool floor and she tiptoed to the door.

Scarlett crept quietly through the hallway and into the darkened living room, stopping to listen every few minutes. She squinted, trying her best not to knock over anything in her blind attempt to make it out into the yard. The door let out a loud creak when she finally got to it and opened it. She gritted her teeth together, hoping that she hadn't given herself away. After a second or two, she continued her mission.

Once outside, she could see the darkened shape of the barn not too far from the house.

Scarlett broke into a run as soon as her bare feet hit the cold, dew covered grass.

She darted, her feet sliding on the slick grass and finally slid to a stop in front of the barn doors. She reached out and grabbed the rough wood with both of her hands and yanked on the door handles. An exasperated groan escaped her lips. A padlock held the doors in place. Scarlett took a nervous glance back toward the house just in time to see a man stepping out of the shadows nearby. She gasped a breath of the chilly, dreary, night air into her lungs and darted around the side of the barn. The rough wood pressed into her back as she stared out, waiting for the man to pass. She hoped that she was far enough into the shadows where she wouldn't be seen. She hadn't met all of the people in this group, but she could imagine they wouldn't take kindly to a stranger roaming around. With the way they kept Randall tucked away under lock and key, she assumed they had structured rules with dealing with new people. Scarlett held her breath as the man walked by the barn, still on his straight path out into the hazy fields. He was walking with a gun slung over his shoulder. As he stepped closer, she could make out nearly every detail about him due to the full moon. He looked older, sporting a white beard, and he wore a floppy hat. He was wearing a Hawaiian flowered shirt.

The man disappeared into the hazy night, cutting through a gate and entering one of the fields. Scarlett's chest ached and she took in another gasp of air, realizing that she'd been holding her breath the entire time. Now what was she going to do? Scarlett reached out and touched the rough wood with her fingertips as she readied herself to go back around the side of the barn. She glanced nervously back out to the fields and then darted back around to the front of the barn.

"Shit!"

She heard the voice at the same time she felt the impact.

She felt like she hit a brick wall. All of her breath left her lungs and she fell backwards. She landed hard on her butt on the cold, wet ground. A pair of strong arms latched onto hers as soon as she hit, bringing her back to her weak legs.

"What the hell are you doing out here?" Scarlett was pulled up roughly to meet Daryl face to face.

She gasped and tried to steady her breathing.

"I…I…" Scarlett stuttered, trying to get the words to come out of her mouth. Her heart hammered in her chest.

Daryl glared back at her, still holding her wrists tightly. Scarlett frowned as his grip dug into the sore bruises already in place on her small wrists.

"God, You scared me," she muttered. It was an attempt to make him back away from her, but when it didn't work she pulled her arms back. He let her go, dropping his arms to his sides immediately.

"Tryin to get in the barn?" he grunted.

"Open the doors so I can see Randall," she said quickly.

"Why are you so damn hardheaded?" he muttered angrily.

Scarlett brushed the wet grass off of the back of her shorts and tried to hide the pain that the fall had reinstated for her bruises.

"Who's out there?" Randall's voice suddenly called from inside the barn.

"Randall!" Scarlett called out quickly. She turned from Daryl and tried to peer through the cracks of wood in the barn walls.

"It's me Scarlett!" she said quickly.

"Scarlett!" He sounded both relieved and surprised.

Scarlett whirled back to Daryl. "Please open the doors."

Daryl opened his mouth to say something but a scream made him freeze. Scarlett turned in the direction of the screams, exactly in the direction the older man had gone.

"Stay here!" Daryl hissed. He whipped a knife out of its sheath at his belt and darted away into the fields. Scarlett stayed frozen in place, watching Daryl leave. Others began running in the same direction, leaving their tents.

"What's going on?" Randall yelled.

"I…I don't know," Scarlett answered him quickly.

A handful of flashlight beams danced through the field as everyone all headed in the same direction. Everyone started yelling and calling out to each other, making Scarlett have an even more difficult time standing where Daryl had left her.

"I'll be right back, Randall," she said quickly, not even waiting for his response before she broke into a run, heading out to the field. Scarlett pushed her tired legs to keep running over the uneven and tilled ground.

"Hershel, we need Hershel!" A voice called out as she came closer.

Scarlett slowed her pace as she came upon the huddle of people that blocked her view. She felt her heart sink in her chest, just seeing their pained expressions.

"Get Hershel," Someone ordered.

Some people she didn't recognize brushed passed her and darted around her as they talked frantically and argued with each other. They acted as though she wasn't even there.

She craned her neck to see around everyone, but her eyes fell on a walker. It laid only a few feet away from the group.

"What happened?" Hershel demanded as he brushed passed her.

Scarlett watched as the group broke apart, letting Hershel in to see.

Her heart sank in her chest. The older man was laid out on the ground. His stomach was ripped open.

Scarlett squeezed her eyes shut. It was all too much. This was worse than when she'd killed Bruce. Seeing Bruce die had been nothing, even with his blood pouring out on her. This was different. The pain on everyone's faces was real.

She opened her eyes as a few others bumped into her again.

"Can we move him?" Rick asked.

"He won't make the trip," Hershel murmured.

Scarlett took a few steps back away from everyone as they broke into another round of sobs. The man on the ground let out a few cries as he gritted his teeth together.

"He's suffering," a blond woman cried out.

Scarlett watched, unable to peel her eyes away as Rick raised his gun. His face contorted as he stared down at the man on the ground. She bit down on her tongue, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to pull the trigger. He was only prolonging the man's suffering.

Daryl stepped up beside Rick quickly and slipped the gun out of his hand. Scarlett watched him stare stone faced down at the man on the ground.

"Sorry brother," he murmured.

Scarlett shut her eyes at the sound of the gun, echoing through the night. When she opened them, everyone was holding each other and crying. Daryl lowered the gun and turned away from the man on the ground. He passed the gun back to Rick.

She met his eyes for a brief second before he brushed passed her and started walking back through the field. She turned and watched him leave. Watched him leave her in the middle of the field full of crying strangers. She felt like she was watching a movie. She stood frozen in place as everyone fell apart around her. They didn't address or even look at her. She felt invisible. They didn't know her and she didn't know them.

* * *

As Maggie shut the door, Scarlett slowly slipped out from underneath the blankets. She'd turned down the invitation to the older man's funeral but Maggie hadn't seemed surprised. Scarlett's muscles felt tight and sore from running all over the yard the night before and tossing and turning all night. She climbed out of bed and moved to look out the window, adjusting the bracelets back over her scarred wrists.

She glanced out the window, rubbing the thin, satiny, white material of the curtains in her fingertips as she did. Her window gave her an almost perfect view of the funeral. She touched the cool window pane with her fingers. The cold air was seeping through the cracks around the window. The cool, fall, weather only made everything more depressing.

Her eyes drifted among the people, stopping on Daryl. Even with the distance, he was the easiest to pick out of the crowd. He stood alone, crossbow on his back, almost as if he was just watching from the sidelines. She thought back to last night. He'd taken the gun from Rick with such ease.

Scarlett tore her eyes away from the window. She was ready to leave. She knew everyone was suffering but she just needed Randall out of the barn. I'll just take a shower while they're all out, she thought to herself. Then I'll approach Daryl again.

After last night, she was sure that he would be the one she needed to talk to about getting Randall out. He was the one she'd talked to the most, although it hadn't been much. She was sure he had a lot of reign in the group. He was physically fit, and had been the one sent to save her. Now that they were back with his group, he acted differently. The way he'd told her it wasn't his choice to make about Randall seemed odd. She'd assumed that he would have the most say in things like that. Just because he said he didn't, didn't mean anything, she decided. Everything she'd seen so far made her think that she'd be able to talk him into letting Randall go.

Scarlett walked over to an upright dresser and picked up a shirt. Instead of picking up a short sleeve like she'd worn last night, she picked up a flannel one. Her ripped skinny jeans were laid on the dresser after being cleaned. She picked them up, surprised that the blood had actually come out of them. Obviously her tank top hadn't been so lucky.

Clutching her clothes to her chest, she slipped into the empty hallway and into the small bathroom. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at her reflection in the small mirror. A few darkened bruises were splotched onto her tired face, bringing her back to when Bruce had hit her. She took a deep breath and watched herself exhale. As she started to take off her t-shirt she examined the bruises that her wavy and slightly curly hair covered on her neck. Her shirt fell to the floor and she slipped off her bra, shorts, and underwear too. Her fingers trailed down the bruises that covered her body. She swallowed hard and moved on to the shower. She turned on the hot water quickly, anxious to get her sore body underneath the cascading water. As she awaited it to get warmer, she slipped the bracelets off of her wrists, laying them on the counter as she did. Her sadness turned to anger as she looked down at the familiar scars on her wrists. After all she'd been through, how was it fair for all of this to happen to her? Two years ago she hadn't died. Why hadn't she been able to take her own life? It didn't make sense that she'd been saved so that she could suffer in a world like this. It seemed as though if you weren't killed by the dead you would be killed by your own people. Either way you were fighting a losing battle. After therapy she'd felt stronger than ever. What she'd gone through seemed like the worst she could have.

"You can only get stronger from here," doctor after doctor had told her. She'd believe them, but now she felt weaker than ever. She could feel herself sinking back into the same emotions that had entangled her years ago.

Scarlett stepped into the shower. The hot water beat down on her sore body, offering both relief and allowing her to let the tears finally fall. She hadn't cried in so long. She hadn't cried all those weeks she'd spent alone, surviving and running from the dead on her own. She didn't cry when she'd found her mom turned into a walker, when she had to put her down, not even when Dee and his men beat her. The last time she'd cried had been years before the world had gone to hell. But now, her tears mixed with the hot water that she let run down her body. She could feel herself cracking under the pressure once again, just like she had when she'd made that choice two years ago.

Scarlett poured a handful of sweet smelling shampoo into her hands and lathered it through her hair, running her hands down her body as she did. She moved onto the soap next, lathering her body and washing away all the remaining flecks of Bruce's blood or grime that had been missed when she'd first arrived. A few of her sobs echoed louder than the water pounding on the bottom of the tub. What was she doing? Why was she even trying?

Scarlett pressed a palm against the shower wall, steadying herself. She knew if it wasn't for Randall locked away in the barn, needing her help to get him out, she would probably give up. Scarlett washed the soap off of her body and turned off the water. She watched the dirty water and suds circle down the drain.

Her mind flashed back to the funeral outside. She wondered if they were done. Scarlett wrapped a towel around her still dripping wet body and stepped out, anxious to get Randall out of the barn. Although she didn't know what her next move would be, she knew that it needed to be away from the little farm. It was time to move on, maybe just take Randall with her and get far away. Far enough away that they wouldn't have to worry about running in to Dee and Bruce's group ever again.

_Please Review!_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thanks sooo much for the reviews everyone! Sorry for the lack of updating. I kind of fell into one of those hopeless stinks and wasn't too sure about this story, or any of mine anymore, but your reviews really gave me the initiative to keep going. Please continue to review!_

Daryl followed behind the vehicles everyone was using to bring their supplies to the house and stopped the motorcycle a few feet away from the porch. He glanced up as he turned the bike off, noticing Scarlett. She had just stepped out of the house, wearing a red and black checkered flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up just a little below her elbows. Their eyes met for a moment but before he could break contact, she did first. Her eyes dropped down to her wrists where her hands pulled the bracelets down a little farther. Daryl made sure he wasn't looking at her when she looked back up. He climbed off the bike and turned to look at everyone else who was carrying the supplies from camp to the house, pretending like she wasn't standing on the porch.

"Oh Scarlett, I'm gonna find you some shoes. I'm sure I have something you can wear," Daryl took a glance back up at the porch as Maggie spoke to Scarlett. His eyes fell to her bare feet.

"Oh okay thank you," Scarlett answered Maggie quickly.

Daryl let his eyes trail back slowly back up her body, stopping for a minute to take her in. She was wearing the same ripped skinny jeans as the day before, minus the bloodstains. Now that her bruises were covered, she didn't look like the same fragile and battered girl that he'd seen the night before. Her slightly curly and damp hair fell over her shoulders and she'd left the top few buttons of the slightly large flannel shirt unbuttoned. His eyes dropped down instinctively passed her collar bone. Even with it a little unbuttoned, she was fully covered and only showing a little skin. Her skinny jeans hugged her small, but nice figure. He watched her shove her hands into the front pockets of her jeans while Maggie climbed back on the porch. She turned and followed Maggie back into the house, hands still in her pockets.

Daryl watched her leave. Now that she wasn't covered in blood or passed out, it didn't seem so wrong to look at her like that. She was just a girl, well a woman since she was at least in her twenties, he assumed. Randall had to be in his early twenties and he'd said they were the same age. When she and Maggie disappeared back into the house, he turned back to watch the group begin unloading the supplies from the vehicles they'd parked nearby. He let his eyes drift toward the barn Randall was still in. Dale's death had definitely put a damper on that conflict. Shane was still holding fast to his opinion and not letting up, even with Scarlett here. Daryl looked over in time to see Lori attempting to lift a box out of the truck. He groaned under his breath as he walked over. T-dog beat him to her, taking the box away from her and heading up the porch steps. Daryl stopped and shook his head as he watched Lori grab something else.

"Stubborn bitch," he murmured under his breath. He looked at her stomach, still shocked that she was pregnant. It never failed that something came up that caught them all by surprise and caused more problems.

He watched a few of the others and looked back up at the porch when Scarlett stepped back out, wearing a pair of brown cowboy boots. A few of the others stopped to look at her. Daryl noticed she dropped her eyes to the ground as she followed Maggie, evidently realizing that everyone's gazes were fixed on her.

"I'm sorry Scarlett, I don't think you've been introduced to everybody," Rick called out as he lugged a box toward the porch. He laid the box on the ground and introduced everyone to her quickly, ending it with Jimmy and skipping over the few she'd already met.

Daryl furrowed his eyebrows as he looked at Jimmy. The kid's eyes never left Scarlett. Daryl shook his head. There was nothing discreet about Jimmy's stare. Scarlett was pretty, he knew that, hell, everybody did. Sure he'd looked at her too, but now that Jimmy had noticed her, it was getting under his skin. After what she'd been through she didn't need Jimmy's eyes on her too. When he looked back at Scarlett she was stepping off the porch. Jimmy's eyes lingered on her as she passed. She headed in his direction and Jimmy's eyes met his as she stopped. Daryl looked down at her boots as she stopped beside him.

"Nice boots," he muttered casually.

Scarlett looked down at her feet and scrunched her nose. "Cowboy boots and flannel shirts aren't exactly my style."

Daryl grunted back at her.

She cleared her throat quietly but didn't say anything.

"Well you've caught somebody's attention in em," he murmured and nodded in Jimmy's direction.

Scarlett's eyes met his and then glanced in Jimmy's direction.

"I'm sorry for you and everyone's loss," she blurted out quickly.

Daryl shrugged at her. "Whatever. What do ya want? I'm supposed to be helping get all this shit in."

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Randall. I want him out of the barn."

Daryl squinted back at her. "I thought I said go talk to Rick and Shane."

"Why can't I talk to you?" she demanded.

"Cause I don't care what the hell's goin on here. I ain't in all this," Daryl raised his voice, noticing Carol's glance in their direction as he spoke.

Scarlett sank back a little, obviously surprised.

She bit down on her bottom lip.

"This group is broken, Scarlett," Daryl lowered his voice a little. "Look at em. Good fuckin luck."

Scarlett's blue eyes met his. "I don't care about your group, Daryl. I just want Randall out of the barn so me and him can get the hell outta here."

Daryl watched Scarlett spout the words out determinedly.

"And how the hell do you think you're gonna make it out there with him? He couldn't protect you last time?" he shot back as she seemingly challenged him.

"I thought you didn't care what the hell was going on," she muttered coldly. She squinted back at him as he furrowed his eyebrows. Her eyes left his and landed on Shane and Rick who were talking beside the porch.

"Guess I'll go talk to the _actual _men of the group then Daryl," she muttered as she left his side and started back toward the porch. "God, you don't have to be such an asshole."

Daryl bit his tongue, keeping himself from spouting back off to her. He watched Rick and Shane turn to face her. What was up with this girl? One minute she was awkward and standoffish and the next she was defensive. She was different, or maybe just determined. One minute he looked at her and thought she looked timid and broken down, but the next she didn't. It was like when they'd been captured. She'd sat and taken whatever Dee and Bruce dished out to her but then pulled the knife on Bruce and killed him. He watched her hands fall to her hips as she talked to Rick and Shane. From the distance, he couldn't hear what they were saying so he looked back to the others.

Jimmy looked back up from a box he was lifting off the truck, watching Scarlett too as she talked to the both of them. Daryl watched him for a moment and finally headed over.

"Hey," He bumped into him with his shoulder, demanding his attention. Jimmy tore his eyes away from her.

"Got a staring problem?" Daryl grumbled as he roughly took the box from Jimmy's hands. Jimmy cleared his throat nervously and shook his head.

"No," He immediately reached for something else to carry into the house. Daryl watched embarrassment fall over the kid's face.

"Well ya might wanna close yer mouth," he added as he passed by the boy, and headed back to the porch with the box. "Gone catch a damn fly."

As he sat the box beside the porch, he took a quick glance back to Scarlett, wondering what kind of progress she was making. Shane looked mad like always, but Rick was nodding and talking to Scarlett calmly.

"She still wants that boy out of the barn?" Carol's voice nearly made Daryl jump.

"Yeah," he muttered as he turned back to look at her.

"She's been through a lot. I hope they at least listen to her," Carol murmured. "If she says he's not dangerous, I trust her."

Daryl looked back to Scarlett once again.

"She's pretty isn't she?" Carol asked softly.

Daryl squinted back at Carol.

"What?" she muttered. "I was just saying. She told us that she was leaving as soon as she could. I don't think it's safe for a girl like her to be out alone. You would think she would have realized that by now. After all she's already been through."

Daryl shrugged. "She can do whatever the hell she wants. It's her life."

Carol frowned back at him, but before she could say anything else Rick got everyone's attention.

"Everybody, I think it's time we sat down at talked about this Randall thing. We need to figure this out. Why don't we all go inside and talk?" He asked.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to Rick, Shane, and Scarlett.

Daryl followed the group inside, anxious to hear what kind of argument Scarlett would be giving in Randall's defense. He stopped at the back of the room, out of everyone's way and line of sight.

"Alright, it's time to settle this Randall thing," Rick announced. "Now that we have Scarlett here, I think things are different."

Scarlett crossed her arms across her chest as she watched Rick begin talking.

"We're just letting him out?" T-dog asked, stealing Scarlett's attention away from Rick.

"Why not?" she asked. The same determined and serious look fell over her pretty face.

"We don't know him," T-dog muttered. "Do you really know him?"

"Yeah I do. I went to school with him in high school. I've told everyone that already."

"High school don't mean nothing," T-dog muttered. "People change."

"At least somebody else is taking this seriously," Shane muttered as he scratched his chin. His hands fell instinctively to his pockets, the way they always did when he was agitated or settling something.

Daryl watched Scarlett whirl around to face him.

"You've all let me into you home," She said. "What's so different about him?"

"He shot at our group," Shane growled.

"He didn't know you."

"Don't make no difference," He snapped back.

"Just hear her out, Shane," Rick stepped up beside Scarlett.

"He's not like those other men," She blurted out. "What made you so ready to trust me but not him?"

"You're just a girl," Andrea spoke up.

Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows at Andrea. Daryl could see the anger in her face.

"She's right," Shane muttered. "What are you gonna do? You obviously ain't runnin back to that group anytime soon."

Scarlett shook her head as she looked around the room. "I'm not asking for you all to take us in. I just want him out of the barn so that me and him can both leave. Believe me, we'll be getting as far away from here as we can."

"You're leaving?" Lori asked from her place leaning against one of the walls.

Scarlett nodded. "It's pretty clear that you all don't take kindly to strangers."

Daryl looked back to Lori and then Rick and Shane, waiting to see how they would respond to the girl's newfound fiery comebacks. It was obvious she was as tired of the Randall situation as everyone else was.

"How can you act like that?" Andrea barked. "If it wasn't for Hershel taking care of you….or Daryl bringing you here, you'd be dead, or still with that group!"

Scarlett stared back at Andrea and looked to Hershel sitting on one of the couches. Her eyes flicked in Daryl's direction next. Daryl looked away from her, once again feeling the guilt that he'd caused her more trouble in his attempt to rescue her.

"I appreciate it," Scarlett murmured, lowering her voice. "But it's time to move on. I mean what do you want? Me to stay and work off my debts? It's pretty clear that you all have your own problems and enough mouths to feed. Let Randall loose and you'll never have to see us again."

"Scarlett," Hershel spoke up. "You're still weak. I don't know if I can live with myself sending you back out like this. You barely rested last night."

"I'm fine," Scarlett said quickly.

"Scarlett. I trust you," Rick said. "But you know how dangerous it is out there. With just Randall…..I mean what happens if you run into another or the same group?"

"Scarlett," Carol stepped forward. "I don't think it's safe. Safety is in numbers sweetie."

Daryl chewed at his thumbnail, watching everyone express their thoughts on her leaving. Scarlett was looking more and more aggravated.

"I can't believe you're just going to let him loose, Rick," Shane growled. "And Scarlett, what if he turns on ya huh? Brings you right back to that group and then brings em here too?"

Scarlett threw her hands in the air. "I swear to God, he wouldn't do that. He sent Daryl to look for me because he was worried about me!"

Shane groaned and rubbed his hands over his shaved head. He finally stormed out the door, leaving everyone in silence.

Scarlett stared at the door for a while and then looked back to Rick. She shrugged.

"Winter is coming fast. You'll be needing supplies and shelter," Rick continued.

"We'll find somewhere," Scarlett said quickly.

Rick stared back at her and finally nodded slowly.

"Shane is just gonna have to get over it. We're letting him loose," He announced.

Scarlett's face broke into a satisfied but slight smile. "Thank you," she murmured.

Her eyes met Daryl's again, but he diverted his gaze. He scratched his chin. As much as he was tired of the Randall drama, he still felt that it was a bad idea that the two of them would leave. It was hard for their whole group to survive together. He could barely imagine Randall and Scarlett running from groups like Dee's or surviving the winter.

"Daryl, you and T-dog take Scarlett out to the barn. Cut him loose. I'm going to find Shane," Rick ordered.

Daryl started walking back toward the door, T-dog and Scarlett following behind.

"We'll go right away," Scarlett said quickly.

"We could pack you a few provisions," Carol suggested. "Just a little food and water."

* * *

Scarlett followed Daryl and T-dog out onto the porch. She could feel her heart beating fast in her chest. Now that they were letting him out, she was beginning to feel nervous. How would he react to the bruises she knew were still visible on her skin? She didn't want him to feel sorry for her or feel like it was his fault, but she figured he would anyway. She hoped getting the two of them as far away from here as they could would help them put it all behind them. Finding a safe shelter and supplies would become the number one issue, not what his group had done to her.

"Girl, once you leave here, you two are on you own. If you or both of you run into some kind of trouble who's gonna save you?" T-dog asked as they neared the barn.

"We'll be fine," She reassured once again. "I can take care of myself. I'm not helpless."

"Just stand back," Daryl muttered as they stepped up to the barn doors. Scarlett stood to the side and T-dog unlocked the doors.

"Ole Randy, you better get down on your knees and thank this girl," he said as he pulled the doors opened. "Cause she just save yo ass."

"Aw hell naw," T-dog yelled suddenly.

"What is it?" Scarlett was at the door in an instant, as the he and Daryl turned from the doors. Anger flashed across both of their faces and her heart sank when she peered into the empty barn.

In a flash, the rest of the group was at the barn, taking their own looks inside to look at the still attached handcuffs.

"He must have slipped em," Rick muttered.

"But the doors were still locked from the outside," Hershel said.

Scarlett stood numbly, glancing around the farm yard. This couldn't be happening could it? Where would he go?

"Rick!"

She whirled around at the sound of Shane's voice. "Oh my God, what happened?" Lori cried out.

"Randall. He got out. Snuck up behind me and cocked me in the face."

"What?" Scarlett shrieked as Shane lumbered closer to them. His face was a bloodied mess and his eyes were wild.

"You heard me!" He snapped quickly, pointing his finger into her face.

"He wouldn't do that!" She said quickly, not shrinking back from Shane's threatening stance.

"That's what happened! Don't you think you've caused enough trouble bitch?" Shane grabbed the collar of her flannel shirt.

She froze as he lowered his face closer to hers. Rick and a few of the other called out to him, telling him to calm down, but Daryl stepped in first.

"Hey Hey! Get the fuck off her." His hand wrapped around Shane's arm and forced his hand away from her. She let out an uneasy breath as Daryl protectively positioned himself in between her and Shane.

Shane took a few steps back. He turned his attention away from her quickly. "We gotta hunt him down. He's armed. He's got my gun!"

"Alright, Daryl, Shane, c'mon. Everybody else, Glen, T-dog, get them all inside and lock the doors," Rick said quickly, pulling his pistol out of his holster.

"What are you doing?" Scarlett's voice came out shaky. "He's not dangerous! Why would he do this?"

"We were gonna let him loose," Rick growled. "But not like this. Not on our front step with a gun."

Scarlett searched everyone's panicked expressions.

"You can't hurt him," she stammered.

Daryl pulled his crossbow off his back and stared toward the woods, following quickly behind Shane and Rick.

"I'm going too!" Scarlett called out.

Rick and Daryl both whirled around. "No," they both spat at the same time.

"Yes, I am. I know him. He doesn't know you all. I'll find him and tell him to calm down."

"This is ridiculous," Shane growled.

"I can do whatever I want," Scarlett spoke up. "And I'm coming too." She jogged over to the men still rooted to their position.

"Scarlett," Rick began.

"Rick, I'm not weak. I can take care of myself. I'm better now and I'm coming too," she said once again.

Daryl angrily shook his head at her and looked back to Rick.

"Why are we wasting time?" Scarlett demanded.

* * *

Daryl walked slowly, searching the ground for any sign of Randall. Scarlett followed behind him, keeping her footsteps soft and slow. Neither of them had said a word since they'd split from Shane and Rick. He still couldn't believe that they'd brought her along.

"This is useless," Scarlett finally murmured from behind him. Daryl turned and shined the flash light in to her face. She held up her hand to shield her eyes.

"This doesn't make since," she muttered. "I know he wouldn't do this."

"Maybe you don't know him like you thought you did," Daryl suggested as he brought the light back down to the ground.

"I'm being serious, Daryl," she said. "Why would he send you to go find me if he was as bad as them?"

"How close were ya'll?" Daryl muttered.

"We were close in school but I haven't seen him since graduation a few years ago. We had a lot of classes together."

"I woulda never guessed ya'll would be close," He grumbled.

"Well we were. Kind of. He asked me to prom senior year."

Daryl turned back and shined the light in her face again. "You went?"

"No, I already had a date."

He snorted as he turned back away from her. "So he liked ya?"

"I don't know…I guess…," she mumbled.

"That's why he was so worried about ya. He was sweet on ya?"

"I don't know, Daryl," she said softly. "Let's just stop talking about this and find him before Shane does. What the hell is wrong with him?"

"Shane's just Shane," he murmured.

Daryl stopped as the flashlight beam fell on the black cloth used for Randall's gag. He heard a coyote howl in the distance and felt Scarlett bump into him.

"Sorry," she said nervously.

"It's just a damn coyote," Daryl grunted as he bent down to pick up the cloth.

"What's that thing?" Scarlett asked.

"Randall's gag," he murmured as he shined the flashlight ahead.

"We got a little trouble here," Daryl said as he took a few more steps. "Something went down."

He kept walking, studying the kicked up leaves. "And there's two sets of footprints here."

"How the hell can you tell all that?" Scarlett muttered as she moved to get a look.

Daryl ignored her and shined the light around them. "There's blood on this tree."

"Shit," she murmured. "What the hell?"

"Guessing you ain't been in the woods much," Daryl mumbled as he scanned the area.

"It's been a while," she answered him. "I just moved back here to Georgia a few months before all this happened. Tried the city life for a while."

A few sticks cracked nearby and Daryl felt Scarlett's body as she bumped into him again.

"C'mere," He hissed quickly, latching onto her arm and pulling her around the tree they'd been looking at.

"What is it?" she whispered. "That coyote?"

"Shhh," Daryl ordered. He strained his ears to listen to the footsteps that were getting closer. Scarlett kept her body pressed against his.

"Take the light," He muttered. She snatched the flashlight from him and they both fell silent again. He held his breath as the footsteps became even louder. He knew whoever it was was just on the other side of the tree.

"Randall?" Scarlett suddenly shrieked as she shined the light into the face of the dark figure that had just rounded her side of the tree. She screamed when she realized that it was the walker form of the boy. He let out a growl and lunged for her. Daryl quickly pulled Scarlett back by her shirt, sending her falling backwards.

He stepped in between the two of them and raised the crossbow.

"Shine the light!" he ordered desperately as he aimed at the walker. The light illuminated its face and he let a bolt fly, hitting the walker in the head. It let out a strangled gasp and fell backwards. Daryl turned back to look at Scarlett. She was sitting on her butt on the ground where she'd fallen, still holding the shaky beam of light. He moved closer to her and held out his hand. She took it slowly and he pulled her back up.

"Sorry," he muttered.

She ignored him and instead walked closer to the body lying on the ground.


	7. Chapter 7

_Thanks everybody! I'm really glad ya'll like Scarlett. I love each and everyone of you reviewers and those that favorite and follow my story. If it wasn't for ya'll taking the time to do all that i wouldn't be writing._

_**doglvr228** Sorry i had to kill him haha. I did feel bad though._

**_marianasgirl _**_Your reviews make me so happy! Haha. I'm glad Scarlett is believable._

_Thanks everybody else too! Especially ya'll that review every single chapter. I really appreciate it._

_ I love reading reviews. Enjoy and keep reviewing!_

Scarlett held her breath as she stood numbly over Randall's lifeless body. His face was contorted into a scowl and Daryl's arrow was protruding out of his forehead. Daryl stepped up to Randall, propped his foot on his head and pulled the arrow out. It exited the skull with a sickening squelch that made Scarlett wince.

"Damn," Daryl muttered, finally breaking the silence between them.

"I can't believe this," Scarlett murmured as Daryl bent down beside the body. He lifted Randall's sleeves and pants legs quickly and rolled him over.

She watched him, unable to say anything else. Her already made plans were now running through her head. She was on her own now. The last person she'd known from her old life was gone now just like everyone else.

"He's got not bites," Daryl mumbled, interrupting her thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"He got his neck broke," he said quickly.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Scarlett let her eyes drop to where Daryl was pointing. Randall's neck was definitely broken, twisted at an obviously wrong angle.

"Well he got bit somewhere," she muttered. "Maybe scratched?"

"Naw, I'm telling you. He died from this."

"It doesn't make sense," Scarlett muttered as Daryl looked back up at her face.

He climbed back to his feet and threw his crossbow over his shoulder.

"C'mon, we gotta get back."

Scarlett stayed still as he started walking.

"You comin or are ya gonna stand there all night?" he asked gruffly as he turned back to face her.

"I'm not going back to the farm," Scarlett murmured, not taking her eyes away from Randall's body.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Daryl growled.

"I said I'm not going back," she answered him simply.

"Ya are comin cause I need the damn flashlight," he snapped.

"Here," Scarlett tossed the flashlight to him quickly. "Take it."

He caught it, but didn't move. "And what the hell are you gonna do?"

"I don't know, move on," she murmured as she pulled her flannel shirt sleeves down over her bracelet clad wrists. The night air was getting chillier by the second.

"If you're gonna go blundering through the dark without a weapon, you're…You're just an idiot," he spat.

Scarlett shrugged as he shined the light back in her face.

"Well which way are ya going?" he asked gruffly.

Scarlett pointed to the left. "If I keep going that way I'll hit the highway."

Daryl glared back at her. "Ya think so?"

"I know so," she shot back.

"If you keep going that way, you're gonna go deeper in these damn woods ya smart ass," he spat.

Scarlett felt her cheeks grow hot. "But…," she looked around. "I thought that way…"

"Nope you're wrong," Daryl muttered. "You better get back to the fuckin farm."

"And if I don't?" She asked.

Daryl's eyes met hers.

"Are ya gonna tackle me again? Or knock me on my butt? That's what you always do when you try to _help _me."

"If I hadn't pushed you outta the way a little while ago, that walker woulda got your ass," Daryl snapped.

"Okay whatever," Scarlett muttered. "I'm not standing here in the middle of the woods and arguing with you, I'm not going back to that farm where everyone treats me like a damaged freak, and I'm not going back to watch Shane walk around smugly because Randall got bit!"

"I'm tellin ya he didn't get bit and why the hell would they think you're a damaged freak?" Daryl asked quickly. "They're just worried about ya goin off on your own, damn girl."

"I've been on my own for months. I can take care of myself. Just because of what happened with Dee's group…That don't mean nothing and nothing like that's gonna happen again," Scarlett said.

"You don't know that," Daryl muttered. "If I go back to the farm without ya I'm gonna have Carol, Lori, Hershel and everybody all over my ass."

"I know a few people you won't have on your ass…Shane and that blond woman," she grumbled.

"Yeah well screw them," He spat.

Scarlett stared back into Daryl's flashlight beam. She was surprised that he'd objected so strongly to them both parting ways right then and there. Another coyote howled in the distance, sending chills up her spine.

"You're gonna get yourself caught again," He muttered. "Ya know their camp ain't that far up the highway."

Scarlett chewed on her bottom lip. Accepting defeat wasn't something she was good at, but Daryl made sense. Her chances running around the woods at night were slim.

"Somethin ain't right about this," Daryl motioned to Randall's body with the flashlight. "I'm goin back are ya comin?"

* * *

Daryl led the way back out of the woods. His and Scarlett's conversation replayed through his head. She was more stubborn than he'd first thought. Who in their right mind would want to go on their own after nearly getting bit by a walker in the middle of the dark woods? He listened to the sound of her footsteps behind him as they crunched in the dry leaves. Something wasn't right about Randall, and he couldn't shake it from his mind. What was going on?

"You said you didn't care," Scarlett said from behind him, interrupting his thoughts. "But you wouldn't leave me out here. Why's that?"

Daryl didn't answer her. He rolled his eyes and pretended to be putting all of his effort into untangling himself from a briar bush. He held it back as she came up behind him. "Watch out for this," he grumbled.

"I'm serious. I'm not helpless," She muttered as she passed by the briar bush he held back.

"Didn't say ya were," he grunted. When she didn't say anything else he added more to it. "Kinda figured that out when ya killed that man."

"Don't even bring that back up," she murmured.

Daryl let the silence fall back around them as they continued through the overgrown woods. Both he and Scarlett froze when a gunshot exploded in the chilly night air.

"Who was that?" Scarlett asked quickly.

"Maybe Rick or Shane," Daryl answered her. "It was pretty close."

"But what if it wasn't?" She asked.

"Just c'mon. Let's get the hell outta these woods."

* * *

Scarlett followed Daryl out of the woods and into the farm yard. He picked up his pace and jogged back up to the back of the house, hurrying in through the back door. She took one last look around the yard and then followed him in. They immediately met the rest of the group.

"Rick and Shane ain't back?" Daryl asked.

"No," Lori answered him.

"Well we heard a gunshot," He muttered.

"Maybe they found Randall," Lori said quickly.

"We found him," Daryl muttered. "He was a walker."

"Well did you find the walker that bit him?" Hershel asked.

Scarlett sat down on the edge of one of the living room chairs. Her head was spinning once again and it reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything else. She couldn't stop thinking about Randall. What would her next move be now that she was all alone again?

"Are you okay, Sweetie?" Scarlett looked up to see the woman named Carol looking down at her.

Scarlett nodded quickly. "I'm fine."

When she looked back up, Daryl's eyes met hers. He was heading back out the front door, crossbow on his back again with the blonde woman following behind him.

"How about that rest now?" Hershel asked as he walked over to her. "Or some food?"

"Oh God, turn off the lights," a panicked voice from the porch made Carol and Hershel leave her side.

Scarlett followed the group outside and felt her heart sink in her chest. Walkers, hundreds of them, were in the distance. They were coming from all directions, swarming around the barns and sheds that were farther in the yard.

She moved passed the others and stopped at the railing, close by Daryl to get a better look.

Everyone began spitting out ideas and Maggie started passing out guns.

"They got the number I'm sayin it ain't no use," Daryl said casually.

"It's my farm, I'll die here," Hershel finally announced.

"Well it's as good a night as any," Daryl muttered as he leapt over the railing and landed on the ground.

Scarlett watched the others begin passing out their guns and deciding who would be riding in which vehicles. She looked around nervously, totally unsure of what to do. Daryl climbed on his motorcycle that was parked a few feet away from the porch and the others with guns began hurrying to the RV and other vehicles nearby.

"C'mon Scarlett, let's go inside," Carol gently grabbed her arm.

"No," Scarlett objected quickly. "I'm not getting trapped in there."

Carol stared back at her for a minute, but her attention was forced away when Lori darted out of the house.

"I can't find Carl!"

Carol hurried back into the house with Lori, leaving Scarlett standing on the porch alone. Her heart pounded in her chest as she tried to think of what to do. Getting off the farm was still the best idea, but it had just gotten more complicated.

Scarlett scanned the moonlit yard. Daryl and the others were quickly pulling out farther into the yard, firing their guns and dropping some of the walkers. It seemed like a lost cause. The more walkers they shot, the more lumbered out of the dark woods and they were getting closer and closer to the house. Scarlett jogged over to the other side of the porch and looked around the house where the others had gotten their vehicles. Walkers were now coming up from the backyard as well as the front. Her eyes fell on a truck that was parked not too far away. Without even giving it much thought, she dove off the railing and landed on the ground. She darted to the truck. Her heartbeat hammered in her chest as she kept a watchful eye on the distance between her and the advancing walkers. She turned back as she heard the roar of Daryl's motorcycle. He was heading in her direction, leaving a group of walkers he'd been shooting at. Scarlett whirled back around and threw open the truck door. She wasn't going to let him stop her escape plan once again.

"Where the hell do ya think you're goin?" Daryl yelled over the roar of the bike as he stopped it to shoot at a few walkers that were getting dangerously close to the truck.

"Gettin off this damn farm!" Scarlett yelled. She threw herself in the truck.

"Not without gas you ain't!" He yelled back.

"What!" Scarlett shrieked as she turned the keys in the ignition. The truck sputtered and died. "Why the hell doesn't it have gas!"

" We Siphoned it!" He yelled back.

Scarlett jumped back out of the truck. He shot another walker and slipped the gun back into his pocket.

"Get on!" He ordered as his hands went back to the handlebars.

Scarlett froze with her back pressed against the truck.

"C'mon I ain't got all day!" he spat. He motioned to her and she quickly threw a leg over. She grabbed Daryl's shoulders, regaining her balance as she positioned herself quickly on the bike. The snarls and gasps of walkers grew louder as the walkers moved closer to them.

"Hold on," Daryl ordered. His voice was barely audible over the roar of the bike, snarls of walkers, and gunshots that exploded in the air. Scarlett wrapped her arms around his waist as he drove them in the opposite direction of the advancing walkers.

They rode, swerving around walkers until Daryl finally stopped the bike farther down the driveway and cut it off.

"What are we doing?" Scarlett asked, quickly releasing her hands from around his waist.

"I don't know," he muttered. His eyes never left the now burning barn.

"We can't stay here," she started.

"Don't you think I fuckin know that!"

"More walkers!" Scarlett said as she quickly pointed into the field beside them. A few walkers had just noticed them and were lumbering towards them.

"Shit!" Daryl hissed. "We gotta go!"

He started the bike back up and Scarlett wrapped her arms around his waist again. They sped down the long stretch of driveway. Scarlett tightened her grip on him as she turned back to take a look. The driveway where they'd been was a mess of moving, staggering bodies. She forced her eyes away from the disaster that they were leaving behind. The cool wind whipped her hair around her face and burned her eyes as she looked back ahead. She squinted her eyes shut and lowered her face behind Daryl, using him to shield her face from the wind.

Scarlett finally lifted her face when Daryl slowed down. It felt as if they'd ridden forever but when she looked, she realized they were on the highway not far from the farm. He slowed to a stop close by a group of vehicles and turned the bike off. Scarlett immediately let go of him and climbed off.

"What are we doing here?" she asked nervously as she took a quick glance around the moonlit highway.

"The rest of em will come here," he answered her gruffly. "They'll know to come here."

"How?" Scarlett muttered. She wrapped her arms around herself as a shiver trailed down her body.

"We been here before."

"It's not safe to stay here. You said it yourself Dee's group ain't far from here. With all that shooting going on at the farm, I wouldn't be surprised if Dee and them are out seeing what's going on."

Daryl scratched his chin.

"And walkers," she continued. "What if another herd blows through. I've never seen that many walkers together."

* * *

Daryl listened to Scarlett. She was right. It wasn't safe to stay this close to the other group's campsite, but he knew that the others would come here when they got off the farm. If they made it.

He could see the car that Carol had written the note for Sophia on. It was only a few feet away. The moonlight was glinting on the windshield. The others would have to come here. Where else would they go?

Daryl looked back to Scarlett. She was standing with her arms wrapped around her body.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked as their eyes met.

"Stayin here. Waitin for the rest of em."

"What if they don't come? How long are you going to wait?" she asked. She rubbed hands on her arms in an attempt to stay warm.

Daryl shrugged. "I don't know." He waited for her to say she was leaving or actually leave like she'd been trying to do, but she didn't.

"Ain't gonna leave?" he finally asked, searching her expression in the dark.

"Do you want me to?' she muttered.

"I don't care what ya do, but if you're stayin with me, we're waiting on the others."

"I don't have anywhere I gotta be or anybody I gotta meet," she said. "Guess I'll wait and see how many of your people make it out of that hellhole."

Daryl propped against one of the cars. "They ain't my people. None of them are my kin."

"Well why are you with them?" she asked, still standing with her arms crossed.

"Force of habit. I ain't got nowhere I gotta be or nobody I gotta meet either I reckon," he answered her with her same answer.

Scarlett pulled her long hair over one shoulder and pulled her hands farther into her shirt sleeves.

"Why were you alone?" Daryl asked, realizing that talking to her was keeping his mind away from the horrific mess they'd just left behind and the danger they were still most likely in.

"Force of habit," she replied with his same answer quickly and then smiled.

Daryl snorted.

"Nah," she muttered. "Ain't got nobody in this and never did. They're all gone."

Daryl let his eyes trail behind Scarlett. He looked down the highway and felt his heart sink."Walkers," he hissed quickly.

Scarlett whirled around to look behind her and hurried closer to him. He stood frozen for a minute, trying to see how many of them it was. It was definitely a herd, but not nearly as big as the one that overran the farm.

"We can't just stand here!" Scarlett hissed.

Daryl opened the car door behind him. "Just get in the car," he ordered quickly. Scarlett darted around to the passenger side as he climbed in the driver side. They both shut their doors quietly and Daryl pulled his pistol and flashlight out of his pocket. He laid them on the dashboard.

They sat in nervous silence, waiting for the small herd to pass by.

* * *

Scarlett pulled her feet onto the car seat and wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them closer to her body. The air wasn't any warmer in the car. She held her breath as the walkers started passing by their car. They moved slowly, groaning and gasping as they continued in their path to nowhere in particular. It seemed like forever that she and Daryl sat in the cold, dark car waiting for the herd to pass.

When all of them finally passed, Daryl finally spoke."I think we should just stay in here for the night. That way if more come they won't see us. Or if Dee's group comes…," he trailed off.

"How will your people know we're here?" Scarlett asked, her voice came out shaky as she shivered again.

"I'll watch for em," he muttered.

Scarlett watched Daryl pull the flashlight off the dash and flick it on. He shined it on the middle console, floorboards, and then the backseat. A few papers littered the backseat and some loose change sat in the cup holder of the console, but that was it.

He shined the light in her face next.

"Cold?" he grunted.

"Yeah aren't you? It's freezing," she answered him quickly.

He lowered the light and started fumbling with the sleeved, vest like jacket he was wearing.

"What are you doin?" she muttered.

He slipped it off and Scarlett shook her head quickly.

"I'm not wearing your jacket." She barely got the words out when it hit her in the face.

"Daryl!" she growled.

"I ain't cold," he muttered. "Just fuckin wear it."

Scarlett looked back to him as she held the jacket in her hands. Daryl was wearing a long sleeve underneath, but she still felt bad.

"I'm serious," she said. "I'm not wearing it."

"Yeah you are," he shot back. "Put the damn thing on. Quit bein so damn hardheaded."

Scarlett frown as gave in and slipped her arms into the jacket.

"You're the one that's hardheaded," she snapped as she pulled the jacket around her and pulled her hair back over her shoulder.

She took whiff of the material as she pulled it tighter around her. It smelled like the woods. The woods and maybe leather? It smelled like the woods and his motorcycle she finally decided. She sank down into the seat, enjoying the warmth of his jacket already.

Silence fell in between them again, and Scarlet yawned. She was tired and still hadn't recovered from all of she'd been through during a week with Dee's group and then all she'd witnessed since being with Daryl's group. Her eyelids felt heavy and she struggled to keep them open.

"Hey Daryl," she murmured.

"Hmm," he grunted in reply.

"I'm gonna fall asleep if I keep sittin here. Talk about something so I'll stay awake."

"Hell, just got to sleep," he muttered. "I don't care."

"Of course you don't care," she snapped back. "That's what you always say."

"Yeah well I don't," he grumbled.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and leaned back in the seat again.


	8. Chapter 8

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Daryl hurried back to the car he and Scarlett had stayed in all night. After waking up not long ago, he'd gotten out to look around. There was no sign of anybody from the farm, but he'd just caught sight of another herd of walkers roaming along the highway not too far away. He climbed back in the car and quietly shut the door before he could be seen. Scarlett was still asleep, curled up in his jacket with her back pressed against her door. He rubbed his hands together in attempt to warm them but finally just shoved them into his pants pockets. Instead of warming up with the rising sun, the temperature was still as cold as it had been the night before. Winter was moving in faster than he thought it would have.

Daryl took a peek at the herd in the rearview mirror. The walkers lumbered closer to their car This herd was even bigger than the last.

He couldn't help but wonder where everyone was. He knew he hadn't slept that long. Just a little every now and then, and even then he hadn't planned on sleeping. Every little noise had woken him up though. Whether it was more walkers groaning outside their car or Scarlett switching positions on the uncomfortable car seat, he'd sat straight up. The only thing running through his mind was that they had to have come while he was asleep.

Daryl turned away from the walkers that lumbered passed his window and looked back at Scarlett.

She was out like a light. Her arms were tucked far into the sleeves of his jacket and her slightly curly hair fell over her pretty face. After her strong insistency of leaving, he was surprised she'd actually stayed. She was so hardheaded that he was sure that would have to be what would do her in. It was obvious she didn't want to stay with him. She didn't act like she wanted to stay with anyone, well except for Randall. He felt a slight smile form on his lips as he thought about what she'd said. Randall had asked her out and she'd declined. His mind soon drifted back to Randall and the night before, the smile left his lips quickly.

Scarlett shifted positions in the seat, letting out a soft sigh without opening her eyes. The strands of hair fell out of her face, leaving the bruise on her face visible. It wasn't as bad as it had been, he decided. It was quickly fading. He couldn't help but wonder what her life had been like before all this. She'd said she had just moved back to Georgia a few months before the walkers gained control. Like Carol said, she was pretty. The kind of pretty he would watch from afar and not approach before the world went to shit. Merle suddenly popped in his head. He hadn't though about him in a while. Merle would have hit on her. He hit on nearly every woman, not having any standards whatsoever, but Scarlett was the kind of girl that would have especially caught his attention.

If only she had the attitude to match her looks though. Why couldn't she act like Carol or Lori and just go with the flow? Daryl shook his head as soon as the thought popped in his head. Nah, it was a good thing she wasn't like them. At least Scarlett could handle things and halfway take care of herself. He knew he'd never forget when she killed Bruce.

The car jarred suddenly making Daryl tear his eyes away from Scarlett. His hand shot out immediately and grabbed the pistol off the dashboard. It took him only a minute to realize that one of the walkers had accidentally been bumped into the car. The car jolted once again, and the walker kept walking.

Scarlett sat straight up quickly. Her eyes were wide. "What was-"

"Shhh!" Daryl cut her off quickly, pressing his finger to his lips and leaning in closer to her.

"Shut up. Just more walkers," he whispered when her eyes met his.

"Shit," she muttered under her breath.

Daryl laid the pistol back down and turned back to watch the walkers disappear behind a few vehicles. Scarlett let out a deep breath and rubbed her eyes.

"There's still walkers out there?" she asked groggily.

"Just a few herds been comin through," he answered her.

She pulled her legs back up on the seat and shoved her hands back into the sleeves of his jacket. "Well where are your people?"

"I don't know," Daryl muttered as he flicked his tongue out over his cold, chapped lips. "Maybe they never left the farm."

"I'm sorry," Scarlett murmured.

"I didn't mean they died, damn girl," he spat. "I meant maybe they're safe there. Looks like all these walkers coulda came from there," he added quickly.

Scarlett blinked a few times. "Oh."

He shook his head and looked back out the windows, scanning for walkers.

"Why is it still so cold?" Scarlett complained as she pulled his jacket tighter around her.

"It's called winter," he shot back. He scooped the flashlight and pistol off the dashboard.

Scarlett groaned.

"I think the walkers are gone," he grumbled, anxious to get out of the car. He carefully opened his door and stepped out, scanning around as he did.

"Whoa where are you goin?" Scarlett called after him.

He didn't answer her, and instead put the pistol and flashlight in the motorcycle bag.

"Do you want your jacket back now?" Scarlett asked as she followed his lead and climbed out of the car.

"No," he muttered shortly. He picked his crossbow up off the bike and hung it over his shoulder, just in case that they ran into a few stray walkers that could be taken out easily.

He propped himself against the car and looked around.

"Where the hell are they?" he muttered under his breath, looking back toward the direction of the farm.

Scarlett walked around the car and moved closer to him. He watched her. His jacket was nearly twice her size and hung on her small frame. She ran her fingers along the handlebars of his motorcycle and then looked back at him."So what's your plan now?" she murmured.

Daryl let out a agitated sigh, noticing his breath against the cold morning air.

"I don't know, maybe we should go back to the farm," he grumbled. "You still got plans of your own?"

Scarlett fell silent and let her eyes drop back to his motorcycle. She finally shrugged. "I don't know."

Daryl thought hard. Maybe it was time to go back to the farm, see what was left or find out if the group had stuck it out there. He knew that Scarlett probably wouldn't go back, but it was the only thing he could think of doing. It wasn't like he could force her to stay with him. If she was that stupid then he didn't need her around. She wasn't his problem and staying on the highway for long wasn't a good plan.

"Do you think there's anything to eat in any of these cars?" Scarlett asked after a few minutes of silence.

"I'm damn near starving," she muttered.

Daryl diverted his gaze away from her and craned his neck to look at the car they'd left supplies for Sophia on.

"There was some shit on that car," Daryl pointed at it as his eyes fell on it. It wasn't until after he'd said it that he realized the food was gone off of the hood.

"Where?" she asked as she looked in the direction he'd pointed.

"Nevermind, it ain't there no more," he muttered.

"Sophia…who's that?" she asked quietly.

Daryl opened his mouth, but let it fall back shut.

The sound of an approaching vehicle pulled his attention away from her. He quickly craned his neck in the direction and pulled the crossbow off his back.

"Who the hell is that?" he muttered. A white truck came into view, heading their way.

"What?" Scarlett turned and then gasped when she saw the truck.

"Is that…That's Dee!" She hissed.

"Shit!"

He grabbed Scarlett's arm and pulled her to the ground instinctively, hoping they hadn't already been spotted.

"What are we gonna do?" she asked nervously. Her wide blue eyes locked on his.

Daryl didn't loosen his grip on her arm. He pulled her back around to the other side of the car and glanced back at the truck as it weaved around the vehicles blocking the roadway.

"Get under the car," he ordered as soon as the idea popped into his head.

"What?" Scarlett hissed.

"He won't see us. There's too much shit sitting around," he said quickly.

* * *

Scarlett quickly followed Daryl's orders and crawled underneath the car. He slid underneath it beside her, leaving his crossbow laying beside him, hidden from view. The rough asphalt was cold on her hands and on her cheek as she flattened herself to the ground. She took a quick glance to Daryl when the sound of tires on the asphalt became louder. His face was only a few inches from hers and his body was right against hers. He pressed his finger to his lips. Their eyes met for a moment before he looked back away from her. She tried to steady her breathing as she stared out from their hiding place. The truck tires rolled by them slowly, making her hold her breath. She even recognized the large tires. The truck was a white ford, jacked up on big mud tires. It was the same truck she'd been tied up and thrown in the day they'd kidnapped her. Scarlett's mind flashed back to when she and Daryl had escaped. She'd killed Bruce, the man Dee treated like a best friend. There was no way Dee would let that go.

The tires suddenly stopped and the truck engine shut off. She clamped a hand over her mouth. Dee's truck was now parked right beside their car. She scooted as far away from it as she could, pressing her body closer to Daryl's until he grabbed her arm.

"Be still!" he hissed, immediately letting her go again.

Scarlett strained her ears, listening to the deafening silence until it was interrupted by the sound of the truck door opening.

From where they were, they could see right underneath Dee's lifted truck. A pair of dirty boots stepped out and Scarlett's eyes locked on them. These boots were the ones that had left the bruises on her legs and sides. Just the sight of them made her feel sick. Knowing that she was this close to Dee again was overwhelming. The boots took a few slow, agonizing steps with the soles scraping against the asphalt. Then they stopped.

"Somebody here?" Dee's voice called out to the maze of cars on the highway.

Scarlett gritted her teeth together. This wasn't happening again. It just couldn't be. She hadn't gotten away just to be kidnapped again.

"Hellooo?" Dee called out again, louder this time.

"I know this bike wasn't here, yesterday," he muttered, obviously to himself.

Dee's boots started walking closer to Daryl's bike that was parked a few short feet away from their hiding spot.

"Is somebody here from that farm? You hiding out in all this crap?" he called out. "I seen the mess back there."

Scarlett froze, wanting to take a glance back at Daryl to see what he thought about Dee's words, but was too nervous to take her eyes away from the boots that were meandering close by.

Daryl's hand suddenly brushed against Scarlett's hand, bringing her attention away from Dee immediately.

He pointed to his side, a straight shot toward the woods, and opened his mouth.

"If I say run, you run," he mouthed the words slowly.

Scarlett nodded quickly.

"There you are!" Dee's voice made Scarlett jump. Adrenaline rushed through her body, and she hit her head underneath the car. She reached for the asphalt in front of her, ready to drag herself out from underneath the front of the car, but Daryl grabbed her arm again, tighter this time to get her attention. His finger went to his lips again as he pointed to the woods. She sank back to the asphalt and her gaze fell on the direction Daryl was focused on. Two men walked out of the woods, heading toward the highway. It only took her a second to realized that was who Dee was talking too. She recognized at least one of them right away. The black man named Sunny, one of the men who'd been there when she and Daryl had been caught."What are you doin up here Dee?" Sunny asked. He was wearing the same clothes from days ago and a pistol was visible, sticking out of his waistband. The other man had a rifle thrown over his shoulder. They headed quickly toward Dee's truck.

"I was lookin for you dumb asses," Dee growled. "Jackson found where all that shooting and smoke came from last night."

"Where?" Sunny asked.

"There's a farm over there. Complete opposite direction you bozos were headed." Dee yelled. Scarlett watched his boots walk back to his truck.

"People there?" the other man asked.

"Nah, looks like they split. There's bodies everywhere but it just looks like walkers. House is empty and there ain't no vehicles there."

Scarlett stole a quick glance at Daryl. They'd found the farm, but she wasn't surprised. With all of the commotion, she'd figured they would check it out.

"There's a fuckin shit load of supplies though man," Dee added as he climbed back in his truck. Something sure went down there last night."

"Well damn Dee, why the hell did you have us searching these woods?" Sunny muttered.

"Just get in the fuckin truck," Dee growled. "We got some movin in to do. Everybody's headed that way already."

The two men jogged toward Dee's truck and hopped in.

Neither Scarlett or Daryl said anything as the truck started up and pulled away. It wasn't until the truck was heading back in the direction it had come that She finally felt the pain on the top of her head. She brought her hand to her head, tenderly feeling the sore spot.

"They're gone," Daryl grunted as he pulled himself out from underneath the car.

Scarlett stayed still, letting the throbbing in her head subside as she steadied her breathing.

"Oh my God," Scarlett finally murmured. She pulled herself out from underneath the car and off the cold pavement. Daryl kicked the tire of the car and turned away from her.

"I don't fuckin believe this," he growled.

He started pacing back and forth as he chewed at his thumbnail. Scarlett started to say something, but she stopped herself. She could see the anger in his face. The throbbing in her head brought her attention away from him and made her feel for blood once again.

A low boom of thunder rumbled in the distance, making Scarlett notice the quickly clouding skies. A shiver trailed down her spine. She wasn't sure if it was nerves or from the chilly wind that was beginning to pick up. When she looked back to Daryl, he was staring off into the distance.

"Daryl, at least," Scarlett started as she stepped closer to him.

"Just shut up!" he exploded as he threw up his hands. "I'm tryin to figure out where the hell they all went!"

Scarlett stopped and furrowed her eyebrows as a surge of anger went through her.

"I'm tryin to help you look on the damn bright side!" She snapped, quickly moving closer to him to get his attention.

"What fuckin bright side?" Daryl shot back.

"I was gonna say that at least they got off the farm! At least they weren't there when Dee and his little posse got there," she shot back. "It could be worse."

Daryl picked his crossbow up off the ground, seeming to be ignoring her.

"What are you gonna do? How long are you gonna sit here and waste time? Dee's group is too close. I'm just gonna go on if you're gonna-"

"Wondered when you were gonna try and pull that shit again?" He interrupted her. "All you do is threaten to leave. Go on if you wanna."

"Pull? I'm not pulling anything. I'm just moving on, and if you aren't then it's time for us to split up," she said simply.

She waited for Daryl's response, but he just stared back at her.

"Here," Scarlett slid his jacket off of her and held it out to him. "Take it."

He held his mouth closed tightly as he reached out and took the jacket back from her.

"Okay," she murmured, locking her eyes on his once again. She was finding herself actually holding back. Was he not going to put up a fight and tell her to stay this time? As bad as she'd wanted to leave the day before, she didn't really want to anymore. Daryl was alone just like she was. He just hadn't accepted it yet.

"Better get goin if ya are," he muttered. "Looks like it's gonna storm." He cut his eyes back back at her.

Scarlett swallowed hard. "Uh, yeah well I gotta find a car that works," she sputtered, trying to hide the shock she was feeling.

Daryl turned away from her and started walking toward his motorcycle. She turned around, feeling completely surprised. Maybe she was right, and he hadn't wanted her around anyway. She took a quick peek at him as he climbed on the bike. Although she'd never admit it, deep down, she wanted him to say what he'd said last time. Tell her not to go. Sure, she'd threatened to go, but in her mind she'd already decided that it wouldn't be so bad to stick around Daryl for a while.

"Well good luck," she murmured, her words droned out when Daryl started the bike.

She dropped her eyes to the ground.

"Scarlett," He yelled over the roar of the bike. "Ya got one more chance. Take it or leave it. Come or don't."

"What?" she blurted out. She whirled back around to face him. She knew it. He was as hardheaded as she was but he wasn't going to leave her on the highway.

"Where are you going?" She asked, unable to hide the shock in her voice.

"I don't know. I don't know where they woulda went. Unless they were trying Fort Benning. That's where Shane wanted to go but I'm just gonna get away from this God forsaken highway before it rains. I ain't sleepin in another car," he yelled to her. "Comin or not?"

Scarlett felt her cheeks flush with embarrassment. Here she was, giving in to him once again and sticking with him. His people hadn't come back. Maybe that was a sign that they were supposed to stick together. At least for a little while anyway. She tried not to meet his eyes as she started walking toward him.

* * *

Scarlett climbed on the bike behind him and Daryl rolled his eyes. She was all talk. If she wanted to leave she would've right then and there.

Her arms wrapped around his waist once again, and he started down the highway in the opposite direction of the farm.

He drove them a few miles, still unsure of what to do next. The chance of meeting back up with the group was beginning to seem slimmer and slimmer. Every time they passed a house, he looked to see if the group's vehicles would be there. Scarlett's arms tightened around his waist every now and then, bringing him out of his thoughts.

"What made ya change your mind again?" He finally yelled over the roar of the bike.

"I don't have nothin better to do," she yelled in his ear.

Daryl shook his head and rode on. The clouds above them were getting thicker, only making it colder and raindrops were beginning to pelt them. He slowed down as a mailbox came into view, deciding in a split second that this riding around wasn't doing them any good. The house was set pretty far off the road. He turned them down the driveway. Although it wasn't the best looking house, he knew it would serve the purpose. It was small and oddly shaped, just a small two story. It would be a roof over their heads and it was far enough away from the farm and Dee's men though. He stopped the bike in front of the run down house. It looked like it needed a good wash down with bleach. The white siding was dirty and stained, and the white paint of the porch rails were chipping off, leaving behind rust in its place.

"What are we doing?" Scarlett asked after he cut off the bike

"I ain't ridin in this freezing rain," Daryl muttered. He climbed off the bike. "It's only gonna get colder out here when it starts stormin."

Scarlett climbed off and he grabbed the handlebars to roll the bike underneath the eve of the house, out of the rain.

"You wanna stay here?" She asked as she followed him.

"It'll work for now, till we figure somethin out," he answered her. "Got a problem with it?"

"No," she shook her head.

"Well alright then," he muttered as he opened the motorcycle bag. He pulled out the pistol and flashlight, then grabbed his crossbow. "Let's go check it out."

Daryl led the way back to the porch. He stopped at the door and took a glance back at Scarlett. "Can you shoot?"

"It's been a while," she murmured.

He turned back away from her, changing his mind about giving her the pistol. 'It's been a while' could mean anything. He figured it probably wasn't worth the risk.

He pushed the door open and stopped to look in. A kitchen and attached living room sat before them. A set of stairs branched off in the corner of the living room, leading up to the second floor. Daryl stepped in, doing a quick look around, and making sure to look in every corner as he did. Scarlett followed him in cautiously.

"I'll look upstairs," he muttered as he flicked on the flashlight. "You stay in here," he added.

"You scout it out and I'll check for food," she said quickly. She left his side and walked around the counter and into the kitchen.

Daryl continued through the small living room. It only had a recliner and small couch with a coffee table in the middle of the room. A TV sat on a stand in the corner. He walked by it, crossbow still ready, noticing his reflection in the black screen as he passed. When he made it to the stairs, he carefully stepped on the first step. When it didn't creak, he picked up his pace.

The second floor was small, much like the rest of the house. A bathroom and two bedrooms were the only other rooms. He shined the light into the dark rooms as he crept quietly through them. One room was a junk room, full of exercise equipment and other random things. The other was the bedroom. A queen sized bed took up most of the small floor space. Daryl passed by it and moved on to a closet on the other side of the room. He reached for the doorknob just as a loud clatter from downstairs broke the silence. His hand shot back and he froze, listening hard.

"Scarlett?" he called out quickly.

The only response he heard was a stifled cry from downstairs.


	9. Chapter 9

_I'm sorry for the wait. Sorry for the cliffhanger. I thought I would be updating with the next day or so but in my defense, my uncle passed away unexpectedly and life has been hectic. It was even worse that he left behind 6 kids. The oldest in college and the youngest is 3. I guess we'll never understand why some things happen. It took me a while to get in the right mind set to write again._

_Enjoy and Review._

"Scarlett?" Daryl called out desperately as he darted down the stairs and into the living room. What could have happened? He'd only left her alone for a few minutes.

When Daryl's eyes found Scarlett, she was standing behind the kitchen counter, looking down at something she was holding. Her hair fell over her face, keeping him from seeing what expression she had.

"Damnitt!" she choked out, not even looking up or noticing him.

He lowered the crossbow and quickly laid it on the couch.

"What happened?" he demanded, feeling himself calm down a little. At least she wasn't in danger of a walker or other person.

"It's nothing, I'm fine,' She said quickly, but her voice still sounded strained.

Daryl eyes fell on deep red blood droplets on the counter in front of her.

"What the hell happened?" he demanded again as he walked around the counter to see for himself. She was holding her blood covered hands tightly together, squeezing them tightly.

"It's nothing," Scarlett shot back. She whirled away from him and started opening nearby drawers.

"I just cut myself," she choked out again, obviously in pain. "That's all."

"What the fuck were you doin?" Daryl gaped. He looked back at the counter, focusing on the blood there. An unopened can of spaghetti and meatballs sat nearby, but his eyes followed the drops of blood that had fallen on the cabinets and dripped all the way to the floor. A large knife was on the floor beside her feet. It was stained with blood too.

"Do they not have one damn dishtowel in this kitchen?" Scarlett yelled from the other side of the kitchen.

"What the hell were you doing?" Daryl muttered. The amount of blood on the counter and floor was surprising. Scarlett slammed a few drawers closed and started opening cabinets.

"I was trying to open the can," she gritted through her teeth.

"With a knife?"

"Yes," she answered sharply. "I've done it before. The knife just slipped."

Daryl pulled open the first few drawers next to him quickly, and fumbled through them, attempting to aid her in her search for towels. He stopped at the first drawer and fumbled through a few kitchen utensils and dipping spoons.

"What about a can opener?" he muttered as he pulled one out. He tossed it on the counter beside the can and turned to look back at her. She kept her back to him, not even turning to look at the can opener.

"I couldn't find one. I didn't see it," she said defensively.

He moved to another drawer and whipped it open.

"Here," he grunted as he pulled out the towels that were in the drawer. By the looks, he figured she would need all of them. They were white, not something one would usually offer to clean up a bloodied mess, but a towel was a towel.

Scarlett hurried over to him, holding her right hand tightly in her left.

"Let me see it," He ordered.

"I said I'm fine," Scarlett snapped. "It isn't as bad as it looks."

Scarlett kept her hand cupped over her wound protectively.

"Look at all this damn blood. If Hershel saw this he'd stitch you up in a heartbeat. Let me see how fuckin bad it is," Daryl ordered again and motioned at the blood that was splattered around them.

Scarlett glared back at him. Once again her stubborn attitude was showing through, making Daryl glare back at her.

"No, I'm fine," She finally grabbed a wad of towels from him with her unhurt hand, quickly hiding her hurt one behind her back. Daryl reached out without warning and grabbed the wrist of her bleeding hand.

"Ow Stop it!" She snapped, but didn't pull away.

She winced instead. "Let go of me."

Daryl used both of his hands to roll her still shaky hand over, trying to see where the blood was coming from. Her sticky blood coated his hands and invaded his nose with the familiar metallic scent. He gently rolled up the sleeve of her flannel shirt and pulled it out of the blood.

"Seriously just let me go," Scarlett insisted. "I swear to God, I'm okay."

"Why the fuck do you have to wear all these damn bracelets," he grumbled as the sleeve caught on them. By now, he could see the few inch long gash on the thumb part of the palm of her hand.

"Just stop it!" she gritted her teeth again, this time attempting to pull away from him. He held on to her and pulled the bracelets as far up her arm as they would go, getting them out of the way.

Daryl felt his mouth fall open a little. Instead of looking at the new gash, his eyes focused themselves on the old ones, the ,many scars straight across her wrist. One in particular was large, and could have only been from one thing.

Scarlett forced her wrist out of his hand and turned her back to him. He stared hard into her back as she pressed the towels in her hand tightly to the still bleeding gash.

Hershel had said she had old scars on her wrists, but he'd forgotten. Daryl felt like he finally understood the reason for the bracelets. She was obviously hiding the scars.

"Scarlett, let me see how deep the cut is," he ordered a little softer, unable to say anything else.

"Just shut up. I don't need you help," she snapped.

Daryl swallowed hard, completely taken back by what he'd seen. She wore the same bracelets on her other wrist too. He knew it had to have been before all of this. The scars looked old. What had she done? What the hell could have pushed her that far?

* * *

Scarlett's face burned with anger and shame as she held the towels tightly to her hand. She tried to ignore the fact that Daryl was standing behind her, just watching her. The look on his face had been just like everyone else's. She squinted her eyes shut and took a deep breath. The memories flooded back to her again. The blood, the pills, the ambulance ride, and the hospital. The atmosphere in the kitchen felt heavier all of a sudden.

"I think you really need stitches. That cut's deep," Daryl murmured from behind her, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen in between them.

Scarlett stayed still, but opened her eyes.

"Well go find me a damn doctor, Daryl," she ordered sarcastically.

She pressed the towels harder into the palm of her hand. The blood was covering the white dishtowel and staining her hands once again.

"Keep pressin the towels to it, I'm gonna go check the bathroom upstairs for some bandages or something," Daryl suggested from behind her. "I saw a medicine cabinet."

Scarlett didn't answer him. She watched him out of the corner of her eye. He headed back in the living room and hurried up the stairs, leaving her standing in the middle of the kitchen.

Scarlett turned and looked at her blood that stained the counter and floor. Tears stung her eyes, but not from the pain. She stumbled over to the table, with tear filled eyes and plopped into a chair. A shaky breath left her body and a shiver crawled down her spine. The now sticky and cold blood was making her hands feel ice cold, or maybe it was because of blood loss.

Scarlett slowly removed the towel and cringed. A few wavy curls fell across her face and she used her unhurt hand to quickly brush them aside.

She listened as Daryl rummaged through something upstairs. Every cabinet he slammed and footstep he took could be heard from her spot in the kitchen. Anger took over embarrassment as she brought her eyes back to her palm and covered it back with the towel. Why did Daryl have to be so hardheaded? He'd demanded to see her hand, but it wasn't out of meanness. Scarlett tried to talk her self out of blaming him for seeing her scars. She could only imagine what he thought about her now. Maybe she wouldn't be staying with him long after all. Being pitied was something she couldn't take, and that nearly always happened when someone found out.

At the sound of the stairs creaking, Scarlett looked across the room. Daryl was taking the stairs, two at a time with his hands full of supplies.

When his eyes met hers, she looked back down at the table.

"I found some alcohol, needles, and thread," he said quickly as he walked her way.

"You can't be serious," Scarlett muttered. "I don't need stitches."

Daryl plopped down a spool of thread with a needle and a bottle of rubbing alcohol on the table.

"Yeah ya do. That's gonna get infected."

Scarlett pulled her arm off the table and placed it protectively in her lap. "I don't want…..I'm not letting you give me stitches," she stuttered.

Daryl left the table and headed back into the kitchen.

"You seen any matches?" He reached up and started opening cabinets.

She shook her head.

Scarlett watched and listened to him fumble through the cabinets and drawers. Her eyes dropped down to the needle and spool of thread on the tabletop.

"Found some now need a bowl, too," Daryl finally muttered.

"Why?" Scarlett grumbled.

"Gotta soak the thread in alcohol. Make sure that cut ain't gonna get infected."

Daryl returned back to the table with a pack of matches and a glass bowl. He sat them down, pulled his jacket off, draped it on another chair. and then quickly took a seat in the chair across from her. Scarlett watched him, unsure of how to take his sudden change of attitude.

"Let me see," he ordered. He held out his hand as he waited.

Scarlett bit down on her bottom lip as she stared back at him.

"I've already seen your wrist," Daryl said, completely taking her by surprise. She heard the aggravation playing dangerously close in his voice. "Just c'mon."

She clenched her teeth together as she laid her hand, palm up on the table between them. Her cheeks grew hot when he looked down at it. Her scars, her vulnerability; were completely visible now. He stared down at her hand and then gently touched it. His warm, rough hand cradled her small, cold and blood stained one.

"You're lucky they had a needle and thread and shit," he murmured.

Scarlett looked away from him.

"I guess I'm lucky you have a doctor's degree too right?" she muttered sarcastically.

His eyes left her hand and met her eyes.

"I ain't no doctor, but I've had practice," he said. "I've stitched up a few of my own cuts."

He held the towel back to the gash and pressed gently.

His calloused hands brushed against the scars on her wrist, making her even more uncomfortable as he applied pressure to her palm. She wasn't even focusing on the pain from her cut anymore. She focused on his face. A few flecks of dirt and little splatters of blood stained it, making her wonder what she looked like. He licked his lips and bit down on his bottom one.

Scarlett watched Daryl's eyes as he stared intently at her hand.

"Aren't ya gonna ask?" she suddenly gritted through her teeth, looking back at his face. His eyes didn't leave her hand.

"You told me already," he said quickly.

"You know what I mean," She shot back.

"No," he murmured. "Ain't my business."

Scarlett let out a fake, sarcastic laugh as she studied his expression.

"Well I've gotta say, you're the first person that's felt that way."

She allowed a gasp to escape her lips as he quickly and unexpectedly doused the rubbing alcohol over her cut.

"It's gonna hurt," he murmured. "Just talk through it."

"You could give me a little warning," she gasped.

"It's better not too," he grunted. "Just talk through it."

Scarlett took a deep breath. He held her now shaking hand in his left as he poured the alcohol into the glass bowl with his right.

"I don't have anything to talk about," she gritted through her teeth.

Daryl stopped for a second and put the bottle back down. "What'd you do before all this?"

"What do you mean?" she gritted.

"Did you work?" he asked, still staring into her eyes.

"I went to school. College. Well for a little while anyway, but I had to leave and come back here," she stuttered.

Daryl screwed the top on the bottle of rubbing alcohol and sat it back down, bringing his attention back to her throbbing hand.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty Three," Scarlett answered.

"What were you going to college for?"

"Shit," she gasped again as he dabbed the cut with the towel.

He raised his eyebrows at her, waiting for her answer.

"Uh…," Scarlett tore her eyes away from her hand. She swallowed hard. "Art. I talked my mom into letting me move to New York to get into a school for visual arts."

Daryl's face looked up from her hand and he stared back at her.

Scarlett didn't back down from his gaze this time.

"So you're one of them artists?" Daryl asked.

Scarlet bit down on her bottom lip. "Somethin like that. Thought I wanted to get away from this place. Move on to bigger and better things. Things don't always work out the way you think they will though."

Daryl laid her hand gently back on the table and pulled out the thread and needle.

"Too bad we ain't got ice or some whiskey to numb the pain," he murmured.

He unwound a good length of green thread and bit it off. The piece of thread went into the bowl of rubbing alcohol and he moved on to strike a match.

Scarlett watched him move quickly and determinedly. He burned the end of the needle with the flame and then blew it out.

"So what'd ya do, like paint and draw all kinds of shit?" He asked as he pulled the thread out of the alcohol.

Scarlett looked at his face. He was completely focused on threading the now sanitized thread through the needle. She didn't understand him. He was ignoring the scars on her wrist now.

"I worked with a lot of different mediums and styles," she murmured, still studying him. She found herself looking into his blue eyes while he threaded the thread through the needle. They looked much softer than she'd seen them the past few days. Instead of staring sharply or squinting at her, he was watching her carefully when he looked at her. His whole demeanor had changed, and she could only assume it was because he felt sorry for her.

"Ready?" he asked, suddenly bringing her back to reality. Her eyes fell on the needle and thread he held in his hand.

"Go for it," she answered him.

* * *

Daryl stitched up Scarlett's hand the best he could. Without anything to numb the pain, the whole process was a slow and painful one. He watched her reactions, surprised that she didn't cry out like when he'd first poured the alcohol on her hand. She grimaced and squinted her light blue eyes shut a few times. All the while, he wished she'd said more about what had happened to her, but he wasn't one to ask. Putting himself in her shoes and wondering what he would think if he was in her position made him bite his tongue.

"Done," Daryl murmured softly as he laid her hand gently on the table.

Scarlett opened her eyes and met his immediately. "Thanks," she murmured hesitantly.

She let out a deep breath and dropped her eyes to the stitches on her palm.

Daryl began wiping the spilled alcohol off the table to occupy himself. Her sad eyes made him suddenly feel awkward. He'd been so angry at her over the past few days because she was so hardheaded, but now he felt bad. It was a strange feeling, sitting and thinking that Scarlett had tried to kill herself.

"Well, I guess I'll use the can opener now," Scarlett murmured.

"Just stay here," Daryl muttered as he jumped up from his chair. "I'm gonna clean this crap up and then get us something to eat."

"There's only a few cans of food in the cabinet, I though we could just share a can to save more for later," She suggested softly.

Daryl scooped up the bowl of alcohol and carried it to the sink.

"Yeah that's alright. I'll open the can, but I'm using the can opener," he muttered. He turned back to look at her, still sitting in her seat at the table.

Scarlett looked back down at her hand and forced a smile. "Yeah if you cut yourself I don't think I'll be able to stitch you up." She attempted to move her thumb.

"Don't stretch the stitches," he pointed back at her and she stopped.

Daryl stole a few unnoticed glances back Scarlett's way as he dumped the bowl of alcohol in the sink and rubbed her blood off his hands with the alcohol covered towel. He wiped up the blood splattered on the counter and kitchen floor and then tossed the bloodied towel in an empty trash can nearby.

"There's a walker out there," Scarlett's voice made him whirl back to face her.

He moved and looked out of the kitchen window near the table. "I ain't goin back out there just to kill him," Daryl muttered as his eyes fell on the lone walker, dressed in tattered clothes.

"Let's just lock the doors," Scarlett suggested.

Daryl moved to the door quickly and turned the lock, taking a glance out of the curtain covered window as he did.

When his stomach growled, he brought his attention back to the can sitting on the counter. He opened it and poured it into two glass bowls. He easily found two spoons and carried them along with the bowls to the table.

He slid one of the bowls toward her and plunked a spoon in both of them.

"Yum," she muttered. "Can't believe I sliced myself open for cold spaghetti out of a can."

"Ain't got no water though," he murmured as he sat down. "House water is cut off."

Scarlett scooted her chair back and stood up. He watched her walk over to the refrigerator. She reached for the door and Daryl hopped up from his seat.

"Don't open that door, what are you doing?" He was at her side and held the door shut before she could even pull on the handle.

"Chill out, Daryl," She muttered. "I'm just lookin for water."

"Do you know how bad that shit's gonna smell?" Daryl hissed. "The lights been out here for a damn long time. That food in there…"

"When I was on my own, I found houses where people left whole cases of bottled water in their refrigerators," She interrupted him.

Daryl stared back at the determined look on Scarlett's face. It was an idea he hadn't thought about. She raised her eyebrows at him as he blocked the refrigerator.

"Well go ahead," He finally grumbled. "You're gonna do it anyway."

Daryl covered his nose as Scarlett pulled the refrigerator door open. She scrunched her nose at the smell, but gave him an I told you so look as she turned back away from it.

His eyes scanned the dark refrigerator and stopped on an unopened case of water bottles on a shelf all to themselves.

"Ya gotta be kiddin me," he muttered.

Scarlett reached out for the case.

"Whoa," Daryl removed his hand from covering his nose and gently pushed her out of the way. "I got it. I ain't redoin them stitches."

He held his breath as he leaned in and pulled the case of plastic water bottles out of the refrigerator. Scarlett moved quickly behind him and shut the door.

"Lucky guess," he muttered as he laid the case on the counter.

Scarlett picked the knife she'd accidentally cut herself with off the counter with her unhurt hand and slit the plastic on the case before Daryl could even do it.

"Just don't learn do ya?" he grunted as he watched her place the knife back on the counter.

The bloodstains still on her hands caught his eye as she pulled a water bottle out.

"Why don't ya use a bottle to wash the blood off your hands," he suggested.

Scarlett shook her head. "Are you kidding me? I'm not wasting one."

Daryl reached around her and grabbed a bottle. He caught a whiff of a fruity, sweet smell and realized that it was her hair. It still smelled sweet from her shower at the farm, he assumed. He stepped back away from her.

"We can find more water," he muttered.

She turned to face him.

"Just c'mon," He motioned toward the kitchen sink and followed her over to it. Once again, an overwhelming feeling of sympathy fell over him, making him regret being so rude to her at the farm.

What had gotten into him? Before he knew it, he stepped back closer to her.

"Hold em over the sink," Daryl murmured softly as he unscrewed the water bottle.

Scarlett propped her wrists on the sink and looked back at him. "I can wash my own hands ya know. I have a cut, I'm not paralyzed."

Daryl ignored her and sat the bottle down beside the sink. "Roll up your sleeves," he ordered.

She groaned and moved her hands to her sleeves, but Daryl found himself reaching out to help her.

"Daryl," she muttered.

"You'll pop your stitches," he grumbled as he moved his hands to her hurt hand. "And like I said, I ain't redoin em."He rolled her flannel shirt sleeves up to her elbows, his fingertips touching her soft skin as he did. His eyes didn't linger on her scarred wrists like they had last time. He didn't let them.

"Can we take these off?" Daryl surprised even himself with how softly his voice came out as he pointed at her bracelets.

Scarlett's eyes met his and he stared back at her, waiting for her reply as his hands held her small wrists.

Her tongue licked her bottom lip and she bit down on it hard. When she finally nodded, her eyes dropped down to the floor.

Daryl carefully slipped the bracelets off her wrists, making sure not to pull at the stitches. He laid them beside the sink.

He poured some of the water in his hands and rubbed them on her hurt hand gently, trying not to get too close to the messily done stitches. He let his eyes study her scars while he had the chance, unable to stop his wandering eyes any longer. They stood in silence as he helped her rinse the blood off of her hands. She took over his usual position of being awkward and unsure so he took the lead of getting things done. He stole a few glances at her occasionally. Halfway through, he began to pick up the speed. What was he doing? Why did he feel the need to help her wash her hands? The way she allowed him to made him feel that she needed the help. Since he'd seen the scars, she seemed like a different person, or maybe he just felt like she was. She didn't seem like the same person who took the initiative to get the two of them out of Dee's camp or the one so eager to leave him and the rest of the group behind to get out on her own.

"You think I'm crazy don't you?" she asked softly.

Daryl shook his head quickly.

"I can see it in your eyes. The way you look at me. Everyone does. You pity me."

"I'll get a towel," he suggested quickly. He left her standing beside the sink with her dripping hands over the sink. The pile of towels caught his eye on the kitchen table so he darted over and grabbed them quickly.

Scarlett turned from the sink as he walked back toward her. He held out the towel and she took it from him.

"Thanks," she murmured.

Daryl took a step back, allowing her to dry her hands off by herself. The awkwardness was seeming to be falling in between them once again. He cleared his throat nervously and walked back to the kitchen table. It always happened like that for him. He'd surprise himself and do something like that, only to be embarrassed later. The feelings he felt reminded him of Carol. One minute, he'd talk to her, offer help and look for Sophia, but the next, he'd push her away. As much as he'd complained about her, now he wondered where she was and if she was okay. Scarlett wasn't like Carol though. She was different than anybody else and he just couldn't put his finger on what it was about her.

* * *

Scarlett ate slowly with her unhurt hand, sneaking a few glances at Daryl. The soft clinking of their spoons against the glass bowls broke the silence between them. The kitchen around them was slowly being swallowed into darkness as the sun went down and letting the cold seep in.

Her hurt hand laid propped in her lap. The throbbing still hadn't stopped or slowed down, but she was finding herself thinking more about Daryl. His lack of reluctance and quick initiative taking had surprised her. He didn't have to stitch her hand up, wash it off, or even take the time to help her at all. But he had. She knew that he felt sorry for her, but he didn't seem like the kind who would have done what he'd just done. Sure, he'd save your ass if you were about to be kidnapped, bitten, or picked off by a walker, but he didn't seem like the kind to show any other emotions.

"There's a bed upstairs. You can have it. I'll stay down here." his voice broke the silence as he placed his spoon back in his empty bowl.

Scarlett laid her spoon down too, leaving a few meatballs in her bowl.

"I'll be fine sleeping on the couch, I'm smaller than you," she suggested.

"Nah, I'll keep watch. I'd feel better if I was the one down here," he shot her idea down quickly.

Scarlett nodded back at him. There was no use arguing with him. She knew that.


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you guys for the concern and prayers. Things are finally settling down for our family._

_Please Review._

Scarlett threw back the blankets and fluffed the pillows in the bright beam of Daryl's flashlight. Before she climbed into the bed, she shined the light around the room. It was cluttered. Glass figurines and plastic plants were used to decorate the bedroom and sat on the dresser and nearly every shelf. The faint smell of must and mothballs filled her nose.

Her flashlight beam danced along the shelves that covered the walls as she stepped closer to them. She leaned closer and let her fingers wipe away a little dust from a picture frame. Most of the pictures looked fairly old, but the newer pictures were of an older, gray haired couple. They looked happy in every picture, reminding her of her own grandparents. She felt a slight smile form on her mouth, but hid it away after a sudden depressing thought. The people in these pictures were probably dead and long gone, or even still walking around.

A slight chill ran down Scarlett's spine and she turned away from the pictures. With the setting sun, the air had gotten even colder. She let the flashlight beam land on the bed once again.

"Hey Daryl?" Scarlett called out.

"Humph?" he grunted back at her from downstairs.

"You want the flashlight back?"

"Nah, keep it up there," he answered her quickly.

Scarlett moved closer to the bed and climbed in. She slipped underneath the covers quickly and pulled a homemade quilt up to her chin. The sheets were a little cool to the touch, but she wrapped herself in all of the blankets.

Scarlett flicked off the flashlight and laid it beside her on the bed. Now that she was alone and still in the dark, she focused on her throbbing hand again. The pain was beginning to trail down her wrist. She laid her hand out on the bed beside her, palm up. It hadn't occurred to her until then that she hadn't put her bracelets back on. She hurriedly rolled the flannel shirt sleeves back down to cover her wrists and returned her sore hand back to the bed.

Sleeping in a bed was a luxury now. Her body went still as she enjoyed the feeling of the soft blankets around her body and her body sinking into the soft mattress. She stared into the darkness of the room. Would they even be staying here long? Scarlett's mind went back to Daryl. It was strange staying with a stranger. Before Dee's group, she hadn't had to deal with any other people. Staying alone in the little abandoned town was what she'd been used to. She was finding her thoughts of leaving Daryl slowly leaving her mind. With a hurt hand, normal things would be harder. Finding food, protecting herself, and nearly everything. At the thought, she tried to move her thumb. The sharp pain caused her to lay her hand back down.

Scarlett's mind wandered, delaying her sleep. She frowned as she remembered Daryl's reactions upon seeing her scars. This thought branched off to more, and suddenly she was remembering the reactions of Dee, Bruce, and their friends. They made fun of her, called her weak. Exactly what she expected and felt like she deserved. Daryl hadn't said a thing about the scars.

Scarlett sat up suddenly. After all Daryl had done for her, he was downstairs alone on the cold couch, without blankets.

Without a second thought, Scarlett leapt out of the bed and pulled the top quilt off of it with her. She wrapped it around her shoulders and grabbed the flashlight. As she started back across the room to the stairs she flicked it on.

* * *

Daryl listened to the sound of Scarlett's feet hitting the floor upstairs again. He'd been staring into the darkness around him, unable to get Scarlett's scarred wrists out of his mind. His eyes moved to the direction of the stairs as he waited in the darkness. Her flashlight beam appeared and she came down the stairs after it.

"What the hell are you doin down here?" Daryl muttered when the flashlight beam hit him in the face.

"I was just wonderin if you needed a blanket. It's freezing," Scarlett said softly.

"I got this one off the back of the couch," he lifted his hands out from underneath a homemade quilt he'd wrapped around himself.

"Oh," She stayed where she was standing.

"Get the damn light outta my eyes," Daryl snapped suddenly.

The light beam dropped to the floor immediately.

He watched her dark silhouette and the light that she held in her unhurt hand as she stood rooted to her spot.

"What else do ya want?" he finally muttered as he strained his eyes to see her face in the darkness.

"Nothing," she answered him quickly. "Just can't sleep that's all."

"Well that makes two of us," Daryl grumbled.

"Mind if I sit for a little while?" she asked.

"I don't care," he muttered as he pulled his legs off the couch and returned his body to a sitting position.

Scarlett shined the light on the couch. "You don't have to move, I was gonna sit in the recliner."

"Sit wherever ya want," he muttered. "I moved cause I ain't goin to sleep right now."

Scarlett stood still for a little while. The light beam moved from the couch to the recliner on the other side of the living room, but moved back to the couch.

"I'll just sit here," she murmured as she sat down on the opposite end of the couch, leaving a good space between them.

"Suit yourself," Daryl grunted back at her.

He watched her as She fumbled with the flashlight, holding it in one hand as she pulled the blanket off her shoulders and threw it over her body.

She finally flicked the light off.

"So do we have a plan?" Her voice asked from the other side of the couch.

"We?" Daryl murmured.

He waited for Scarlett to come up with a snappy comeback but she didn't.

"So ya decided not to split?" He finally asked.

"Yeah, isn't any use when my hand is messed up. I can't even open a can for God's sakes. Besides, it hurts like hell."

"Too bad I gave T-dog all Merle's pain pills and antibiotics," He murmured.

"Who's Merle?" Daryl automatically clenched his teeth together, at the sound of her question.

"Nobody," he grumbled back at her.

"Keepin secrets now?" Scarlett shot back.

Daryl paused for a minute and looked in her direction. The darkness between them felt smothering as it hid them from each other.

"Looks like you're the one keeping secrets," he finally murmured.

She fell silent, and he wasn't surprised. She clammed up like she had when he'd seen her wrists.

"It's different," she murmured after a few minutes. "I asked you. You didn't even ask me."

"But what if I was to ask you?" Daryl was surprised at how quickly and boldly his question came out.

"You'd have to tell me my answer before I told you yours," her voice came out barely above a whisper.

"He was my brother. Got left in Atlanta by Rick and them," Daryl blurted out quickly. "Now why the hell would you try to kill yourself? Ya know, we had a girl back at the farm, Hershel's daughter. The little blond one. She slit one of her wrists open."

Daryl stared hard into the darkness, waiting for her to say something. He heard her take a deep breath.

"It happened two years ago," she murmured.

He stayed silent, hoping she would continue her explanation.

"Everything was going perfect at the art school I was going to, until I signed up for a clay and pottery class." Scarlett paused for a minute, as Daryl anxiously waited for her to finish.

"I had everything I could have every wanted, or I thought I did. I was staying in the dorms, had friends, turns out they were all total bitches." Daryl raised his eyebrows at her as he listened hard.

"I'd started working in a little cafe a few blocks away for extra cash. Uh, God, you're gonna think I'm so stupid."

"I ain't goin to," he said quickly.

"I mean, you didn't go slit your wrists after your brother got left in Atlanta. I slit my wrists after…." she trailed off again.

"I cried a little," Daryl said quickly and awkwardly, hoping to get her to reveal more about herself if he did the same.

"What?" she muttered.

"When my brother got left. We went back and found his hand on the rooftop. He cut off his hand to get out of the handcuffs Rick had put him in."

"You cried?" she asked softly.

"A little," he muttered hesitantly. "I haven't seen him since then. Nobody has, but shit happens."

"Oh," she said simply.

Daryl wished he could see her face through the darkness. He found himself hanging on to her every word.

"There was a teacher that taught that pottery class, Clark. He had us call him by his first name. He was pretty young, probably like 30. He was like one of those teachers you see on a lifetime movie. Every girl in the class tried to impress him. They all thought he was really somethin."

Scarlett cleared her throat and took another deep breath.

"He flirted with me. It seemed innocent at first, but it started to get obvious. Some of the other girls started to notice and it got uncomfortable. What the hell are you supposed to do when your college teacher flirts with you? I stayed in the class because I needed the credit. By the time he started to show his true colors it was too late to get out and get in another to replace it."

Daryl's mind started to piece together everything ahead of her. He cleared his throat awkwardly and she stopped.

"Scarlett," He started. "You don't have to-"

"He didn't do anything to me," she said quickly. "If that's what you think. I got out of the class when he started trying to keep me in class after hours or invite me to his office. The last straw was when he pushed me up against the wall and kissed me after he locked the classroom door."

Daryl chewed on the inside of his cheek as she continued.

"I told my friends, keep in mind these were the same damn girls who had crushes on him. They all labeled me the class slut. Sent rumors flying that I tried to have sex with him and pressured him to kiss me. They tried to get me in trouble with the head of the college. I finally had to report him because everyone, including Clark was putting me out to be the instigator.

All of this caused so much trouble that they suspended him from teaching until it could all be sorted out. I started getting threats from all the crazy bitches that were his little teacher's pets. I finally had to tell the administration that I wasn't pressing charges. They didn't give him the job back right away, hell I don't know if they did at all."

"Damn," Daryl muttered, but Scarlett seemed to ignore him.

"I started drinking and skipped most of my classes. I was just so stressed. Then Clark started threatening me himself. Telling me to move back to Georgia. Telling me that it was all my fault. He said if he would have flirted or put the moves on any other girl that they would have loved it. He said I should have been thankful that he picked me, but instead that I acted like a spoiled bitch and wanted attention."

Daryl felt the couch cushions move a little as Scarlett changed her sitting position.

"He started showing up in the cafe when I was working and I finally quit. It went on for so long and I was so stressed. I guess now it just makes me look stupid for not doing anything about it, but I thought it would all stop eventually. It only caused more trouble when I reported him to the school anyway. It got to a point where I couldn't take it anymore. I knew I'd be a deadbeat living with my mom if I moved back here to Georgia, but I knew that I just couldn't stay in the school I'd dreamed of going to. I locked myself in my dorm and took a bunch of sleeping pills that my roommate had. I'd already been drinking and I just wasn't thinking right. She wasn't there, hell she had so many friends that I barely even saw her. I slit my wrists and then she came home. She never came home on the weekends, but she did that Friday night."

Daryl swallowed hard. Scarlett spoke of it all with a calmness that seemed unreal. Silence fell in between them for a moment, and Daryl's mind whirred. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to say something after that or not. His mind couldn't think of a single thing to say.

"My mom begged me to come back home, but one of her rich aunts we never hear from unless she feels sorry for us, sent her some money," Scarlett started explaining again. "It was enough to move me out of the dorm and get me an apartment. I dropped out of school, but didn't want to go back home. Facing all my classmates I'd graduated with high school with made me feel stupid. I could only imagine how successful their lives were, and all I had were these new scars to show off. I promised my mom I'd take therapy and she set me up with a therapist. I got a restraining order out on Clark, and I never saw all those girls again. A few months ago though, I relapsed. Started drinking again. My mom made me come home this time. Then all this shit happened and she got bit."

Daryl sat still, waiting to see if Scarlett would say anything else. When she'd started talking, she'd totally spilled her guts. He couldn't think of a single thing to say to her. A minute went by, then two, then three, and Scarlett still hadn't said anything else.

"Scarlett….I….," Daryl trailed off.

"No, you don't have to say anything. I hate it when people say they're sorry. It isn't your fault," she snapped quickly. "I didn't tell you that to make you feel sorry for me. I just….well I guess I needed to tell somebody. Just needed somebody to understand."

"That teacher was an asshole," Daryl finally muttered. "Just like that group of idiots down the road."

"I know," Scarlett murmured. "And I just have shitty luck. I found it was easier when I was on my own those first few months of this. I was staying in that town not far from the farm. I mean, when I'm around people bad shit always happens or people die. I found Randall and Dee's group kidnapped me. I found you, or you found me, and Randall died and a lot of people from you group did too."

"People are gonna die," Daryl murmured. "And people are gonna treat other people like shit just cause they can."

Scarlett changed her position on the couch beside him, making the springs in it squeak.

"I don't know why I just told you all that," Scarlett said softly. "It's not something I usually just tell people."

Daryl sat in silence for a while, just thinking about what Scarlett had said. He imagined her slicing her wrists open and blood spilling out, more than what had when she accidentally cut her palm with the knife.

"I never woulda known if you hadn't have said anything, that's for sure," he murmured.

"Just promise me something?" Scarlett asked suddenly.

Daryl turned back in her direction. "What?"

"If I stay with you, you won't treat me differently will you?"

Daryl eyes stared into the darkness. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, treat me like you would have if you didn't know. Hell, treat me like you did at first. Scream at me, yell at me, boss me around, I don't care. But don't pity me."

"You're the first girl I've ever heard say that before."

"Well I mean I'm fine, I'm not suicidal anymore. It was a mistake. I can take care of myself," she said quickly.

"I know ya can," Daryl murmured.

"Just give me a weapon and we can watch each other's asses."

Daryl let out a slight chuckle.

"Well you know what I mean," Scarlett said quickly. "I'll watch your back and you-"

"I know what ya meant," he said.

Silence fell in between them again.

Daryl chewed at his thumbnail in the dark. It seemed unreal, everything that she'd been through. She seemed to be the object of everyone's sick affections. First a psycho teacher and then that greasy idiot down the road. She did have shitty luck.

"I thought you said you hadn't shot a gun in a while," Daryl finally murmured as he thought about what she'd said about a weapon.

"I haven't. Not since my dad died. He taught me how to shoot. He died when I was younger," she answered him quickly.

"How the hell did ya stay alive on your own then?" he muttered.

"I had a machete and a few other tools that I used. I kept away from herds. Only killed what I had to in close range. Dee took the machete I had though. Maybe we can find some stuff we can use."

"First thing we're gonna do is find a house with a damn fireplace," he muttered as he covered his hands back with the quilt. "We're gonna freeze our asses off if we stay here."

Scarlett didn't say anything back, and his mind wandered again, running back through everything she'd said. Finding a few weapons was definitely a good idea. He'd seen first hand what she could do with a knife, with Bruce and then accidentally to herself. Maybe a knife wasn't such a good idea, he finally decided.

Daryl's eyelids began to feel heavy after a while of silence and he looked back in Scarlett's direction; even though the darkness kept her hidden from him.

"You asleep?" he lowered his voice a little, in case she was.

She didn't answer him.

"There's a damn bed upstairs and of course your sleepin on the couch," he grumbled under his breath.

He scolded himself immediately in his mind. After all she'd told him, what right did he have to be mad at her for somethin stupid like hogging the couch? He knew that he was going to have a damn hard time treating her like she'd never told him all of that stuff. He'd talked more to her today than he had since he'd found her in the woods running from Dee, and he was surprised that his thoughts about her had changed. She wasn't just that hardheaded girl anymore. She was a girl who'd been through a lot.


	11. Chapter 11

Before Daryl even opened his eyes, he felt Scarlett's legs laying across his lap. He flicked his eyes open quickly, meeting the morning sun that was filtering through the windows of the living room. Scarlett was now stretched out across the couch, still wrapped in her quilt. Instead of her position on the opposite end of the couch, she was laid out with her pink sock covered feet in his lap.

He stared down at her feet for a moment, trying to figure out when she had thrown her feet on him. His neck ached from sleeping in the sitting position with his head and arm propped on the arm of the couch.

Daryl looked back at Scarlett. The quilt was pulled up to her chin and her hair laid messily tossed on the couch. She looked peaceful and content, making him realize he was torn between pushing her legs off of him and waking her up or just sitting still. As he looked at her pretty face, nestled down between the quilt and square couch pillow, her stories from last night ran back through his mind. She began rubbing her feet together gently, as if she was dreaming and Daryl watched her.

After a few minutes of sitting still, he couldn't any longer. The need to take a leak and the worry of what she would say when she woke up and realized he'd been awake and let her feet stay on him the whole time finally won over. He pushed her feet gently until they fell off the edge of the couch. He stood up quickly about the same time she sat straight up.

"Oh shoot," she muttered groggily.

Daryl pretended to ignore her as he stretched and rubbed his sore neck. He threw his quilt back on the couch.

"I didn't mean to sleep down here," Scarlet said defensively. "I'm sorry."

"I'll be back," Daryl grumbled as he reached for the crossbow he'd left by the couch.

"Where are you going?" Scarlett asked. She sat up and pulled the quilt off of her own body.

"To take a piss," he muttered simply.

"Oh," Scarlett's eyes left his.

"And look around," he added. "I'll be back later."

* * *

Scarlett stood by the door and looked out the window as she watched Daryl head to the woods with his crossbow on his back. She held the quilt wrapped around her shoulders, feeling the cool air as it seeped through the crack in the door frame. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks a little as she thought about her feet resting in his lap while she slept. She'd had no idea she'd taken up the whole couch.

The night before ran through her mind. She'd told him everything and now she couldn't believe it. It had surprised her even more that he'd actually listened. Yesterday, he'd seemed like a different person. She could only wonder how long his newfound mood would last. He'd definitely woken up in a seemingly different one this morning.

With a sigh, Scarlett let go of the curtains and let them fall back over the window. She looked down at her hand, finally studying the stitches in the light, but forced her eyes back to the window when there was a sudden crash outside. She pulled back the curtains and craned her neck to see. A walker lumbered close by the front porch. By the looks, it was the same one they'd seen the night before but didn't kill.

Scarlett pulled the quilt off her shoulders and tossed it on the kitchen table nearby. She then slipped the cowboy boots Maggie had given her on quickly.

She opened the door quietly and slipped outside. The cold nearly took her breath away as it sank through the thin fabric of her thin flannel shirt and the rips in her skinny jeans. She froze as the walker looked blindly in her direction for a second. Her eyes landed on a metal garbage can along the side of the house that had fallen over and struck the concrete of the porch.

"So damn clumsy," she murmured under her breath.

When the walker turned it's back on her once again, she snuck around the opposite side of the house, away from it. Her eyes searched the cluttered back porch for a weapon. At the sight of flower plants and small gardens that decorated the backyard, she knew there would have to be gardening tools somewhere.

She scanned the yard as her heart rate quickened. So much for finding a weapon quickly. Worried that the walker would soon walk around the house, she found herself taking nervous glances back around the house.

"Aha," she said happily as she noticed a garden hoe, leaning against a tree not far away.

She grabbed the garden hoe and headed back around to the front of the house.

* * *

Daryl shoved his cold hands in his pockets as he headed back toward the house. A walk in the woods to clear his mind was what he definitely needed. It didn't matter that he hadn't seen a single squirrel or animal to kill. They would just have to eat another can of spaghetti or soup for the time being.

The dry leaves in the trees rustled with the cool breeze. Some of the leaves lost their hold on the branches and fell in swirls, dancing to the ground around him as he walked. As for a plan, he still hadn't come up with one. Surviving the winter was going to be difficult, and he couldn't think of anything to make it easier. What would Rick do? Daryl wasn't even sure about that. On top of getting himself through the winter, he had Scarlett to think about.

He pushed the worry out of his mind as he stepped into the yard. It wasn't gone for long though, before his eyes automatically focused on a shape laying in the front yard. Daryl felt his heart skip a beat. He jogged over to the body, realizing right away that it was a walker, but it didn't calm his nerves. The walker's head had been smashed and the dirt around the walker was kicked up a little, insinuating that a struggle had happened. A garden hoe laid discarded a few feet away and blood and gore covered the sharp end.

"Scarlett?" he called out as he stood back up. A quick glance around the empty yard, only made his heart rate quicken.

He took a deep breath and headed toward the door as a million different scenarios played through his head. What if she was bitten? What the hell was she doing outside anyway?

Daryl gripped the cold doorknob and opened the door quickly. Music immediately filled his ears. For a moment, he stood frozen in the doorway, listening hard to the light piano music that filled the house.

"What the hell?" he muttered under his breath.

He scanned the kitchen and living room for any sign of struggle or blood, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary. Scarlett's cowboy boots sat beside the door and her quilt was laying waded up on the kitchen table.

"Scarlett?" he called out as he stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him.

He took a few slow steps into the living room. The music became louder and clearer as he neared the stairs.

The words began and he recognized the song. He started up the stairs as 'I Left My Heart in San Francisco' continued playing from an unknown source.

Once on the second floor, he realized the music was coming from the bedroom. The door was nearly closed, only showing a small sliver of a crack.

"Scarlett?" he called out once again, but his words were drowned out by the song.

The music gave the house an eerie but strange calm as he reached for the doorknob. He pushed the door open and froze.

Scarlett stood, shirtless and braless with her back to him. A record player sat on the bed she was facing, along with a heap of clothes that she had obviously just pulled from the closet.

She sifted through the clothes, unknown to the fact that he'd entered the room. His eyes stayed locked on her bare back. Her long, wavy, brown hair reached nearly to the small of her back, sending his eyes trailing down to her small waist and hips where her jeans began. The long, soft, and wispy curls seemed to tease her skin as she moved. He remembered how sweet her hair had smelled the night before when he was helping her with her hand and suddenly the scent was back in his nose.

The soft piano music from the record player gave the room a dizzying effect. Daryl stood frozen in place, unable to tell his feet to move. It was wrong watching her secretly. Maybe that was another reason it felt so right. The strange and sudden impulse to want to run his hands down her skin hit him and he swallowed hard.

One of Scarlett's hands ran through her hair and brought it over her shoulder, leaving her back completely visible. He stared at her shoulder blades and neck. The shape of her body, the odd music, the warm sunlight flitting through the windows, and the idea that she had no idea he was standing there was overwhelming. The Sunlight from the window glinted off her satiny skin, casting shadows and exaggerating the curvatures of her back. The room immediately felt hot and stuffy and a million different sensations raged through him.

She held up a shirt from the pile on the bed as the song ended. It was then that Daryl felt his grip slip on the doorknob. It squeaked and Scarlett brought the shirt to her chest, covering herself quickly. She turned her head and their eyes met for a split second.

"Daryl!" she squeaked.

"Sorry," Daryl grunted. His voice came out awkward and full of emotion. He immediately closed the door back in front of him.

His face burned and his mouth felt as dry as cotton, but he couldn't get the image of her bare back out of his mind. He hadn't even thought about her like that. Hadn't ever let his mind wander to what she looked like underneath her clothes. Now he knew he wouldn't be able to un see that. His body had reacted to the sight of her, reminding him how long it had actually been since somebody else had turned him on. For the past few months, he'd been around the women at camp like Lori, Carol, and Andrea. They always wore the same baggy unappealing clothes. Not to mention their nagging attitudes that wore on his nerves, or the fact that Lori was obviously taken and Andrea had her sights on Shane. Their was nothing about them that made his mind wander. But with Scarlett… the way the sunlight glinted off of her skin was unreal. It was no secret that she was beautiful. No wonder she attracted a lot of attention.

He started numbly back down the stairs. Now his brain was completely fogged. Sex was something he hadn't given himself much time to think of lately, but now that he was, his mind was reminding himself of how much better real sex was than just pleasing yourself.

'Stop it,' his brain screamed at him. It wasn't right thinking about Scarlett like that. She was a person, a nice looking one at that, but she wasn't just an object. Why the hell did she have to make him feel like one of those psychos she'd already dealt with?

Once downstairs, Daryl laid his crossbow on the couch. He looked back at the stairs nervously. What was she going to say? More importantly what was he supposed to say?

* * *

Scarlett stood with her mouth open for a few minutes. Embarrassment flushed her cheeks as she stared down at the pile of clothes on the bed. How long had he been standing there?

She hurriedly slipped her pink bra back on and grabbed one of the only articles of clothing she'd found that would fit, a plain white short sleeve shirt that was obviously a man's. She chewed nervously on her bottom lip as she realized her bra was visible through the white fabric. Finding herself to be more self conscience all of a sudden, she looked back at the clothes on the bed. As a last resort, she scooped up a long sleeved, red, sweater that was a few sizes to big and pulled it over her head. Obviously he'd just come in, she told herself. She took a deep breath and opened the door, pausing for a moment in the doorway.

Scarlett pulled her hair over the front of her shoulder and tugged the sweater down a little. Before she could let herself get even more embarrassed, she headed downstairs.

When she stepped into the living room, Daryl was standing by the couch.

"Did you uh….need something?" Scarlett murmured awkwardly as soon as their eyes met.

"No, I just…I was lookin for ya. Saw that dead walker in the yard and then I heard that damn strange music."

Scarlett felt a smile form on her lips as she watched Daryl's eyes stray away from hers. "You don't like Tony Bennett?" she asked.

"What?" he muttered. "Oh, I don't know."

"The singer?" Scarlett added.

"I know. I just haven't heard music in a while," he murmured.

"Yeah me neither," Scarlett said softly.

She watched him fidget awkwardly as he talked, realizing the he was more embarrassed than she was.

"Let's just pretend like that didn't happened," she finally murmured.

Daryl didn't look up from the floor and silence fell in between them.

"I got walker blood all over me and I was looking for a shirt. I found that old record player in the closet," Scarlett explained, trying to initiate some sort of conversation between them again.

"Thought you mighta got bit or somethin," Daryl muttered.

"Why?" Scarlett asked. "I saw that walker was out there not long after you left. I know it's the same one that we saw yesterday night, wandering around the yard. I figured I'd get him and then we wouldn't have to worry about him."

"Just be careful," Daryl snapped quickly.

Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows at him, surprised at his sudden change of tone.

"I told you I can take care of myself. Besides, I was thinking you coulda got bit by him, running out to the woods by yourself. I thought we were gonna watch each other's backs?"

"Well next time, wait for me. Then you won't have to change clothes," Daryl shot back.

"What?" Scarlett snapped.

"Or lock the door next time. I didn't know you were changing in there," he spat angrily.

"God, just calm down," she muttered. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Daryl stomped out of the living room and into the kitchen. He opened a cabinet and pulled out two cans, slamming them on the counter as he looked back at her.

"Soup or Spaghetti?"

Scarlett stared back at him, unable to hide her shocked expression.

"Soup," she murmured.

Daryl picked up the can of spaghetti and put it back in the cabinet. Scarlett flinched when he slammed the cabinet door back.

She chewed on her bottom lip as he reached for the can opener. Slowly, she slinked over to the counter.

With every twist of the can opener, his anger showed through.

"Daryl?" Scarlett murmured, not taking her eyes off the can he was furiously opening.

"It's not that big of a deal, ya know," she finished.

His eyes met hers.

"When I said you could boss me around, I didn't mean like this," she said with a forced smile. "I can take down a walker."

"Ain't what I'm talking about," he snapped and brought his eyes back to the can.

Scarlett squinted back at him.

"Well walking in on me changing isn't that big of a deal, Daryl," she finally muttered. "Nobody died," she added with a forced laugh.

"Just forget about it," Daryl snapped as he put two more glass bowls and spoons on the counter.

Scarlett watched him spoon the soup into both bowls. He then picked them both up and carried them to the table.

She followed him slowly and took her same seat as the night before.

He started eating his immediately and she picked her spoon up slowly.

"Are you really this mad at me?" She asked as she stirred her soup around in her bowl.

"I ain't," he muttered.

"You're not a good liar," she murmured, holding a spoonful of the soup close to her mouth.

* * *

Daryl stared back at Scarlett. She ate slowly, using her lips to slide the soup off of the spoon and then licked them after. She was wearing a big, red, sweater now but the image of her bare back was still in his mind. He brought his attention back down to his own bowl and ate quickly, anxious to escape her confused, blue eyes. He wasn't really mad at her, at least he didn't think he was. He was just frustrated, he finally decided as he watched her eat.

Frustrated that she was so pretty and that he hadn't gotten laid in a while. Frustrated that she'd told him all that stuff the night before and now he couldn't stop thinking about it. And Frustrated that Dee's group had moved in on the farm and now he wasn't sure where to go. Along with all of that, he felt that danger was on every corner. Even more so now that Scarlett was tagging along with him. Maybe it was because of the stories she told, or maybe it was because of what he'd witness with Dee's group, but deep in his mind a new worry was surfacing. She wasn't even his, but he was beginning to worry that she'd be stolen away from him. After all she'd been through, she definitely did need somebody to watch her back and keep her safe.

Daryl finished his last spoon full and pushed his chair out from underneath the table. As he laid the bowl by the sink, he felt her eyes on him. He tried to ignore it and headed back into the living room to pick up his crossbow.

"Where are you going?" Scarlett asked. She returned her spoon back to her bowl and looked up at him.

"To get rid of that walker you killed," he muttered. "It's gone start stinkin."

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	12. Chapter 12

Scarlett watched Daryl through the window as he walked over to the walker's body. After a few minutes, she gave in and pulled her boots back on. She pulled her hands into the long sleeves of her red sweater and headed outside. Daryl noticed her as soon as she shut the door back. He immediately looked back down at the walker. She slowly walked over to him and stopped beside the walker.

"Made a damn mess didn't ya?" He muttered.

His eyes remained fixed on the bloody mess and didn't even meet her eyes as he spoke.

She followed his gaze back to the walker. "Well, the way I see it, I'd rather have a mess to clean up than _be_ someone's mess to clean up later."

He grunted in response and bent down to grab the walker's lace up boot covered feet. He groaned as he began to drag the walker across the gravel driveway and toward the woods.

Scarlett reached down and picked up the garden hoe, scrunching her nose at the brain matter and blood that now covered the sharp end. She lowered the sharp end to the ground and stood it up, making sure that the rough wood didn't pull at her stitches as she held it up.

Daryl dropped the walker by the edge of the woods and dusted his hands off, wiping them on his pants as he turned back in her direction. He let out a deep breath. His breath was visible from where she was standing against the cold midmorning air. She couldn't get the fact that he had walked in on her changing out of her mind. It wouldn't have bothered her so bad if it hadn't bothered him. He'd only seen her back. What was so bad about that?

"So what's the plan for today?" Scarlett finally asked.

Daryl continued walking slowly back in her direction. "Why the hell are you askin me?"

"Why are you in such a pissy mood?" she snapped.

"I got a lot on my plate. I'm trying to figure out what the hell we're gonna do. I don't see you figuring any shit out."

"You weren't so bad yesterday," she muttered. "Besides, I think the only way that we're going to come up with a plan is by riding around. I think finding somewhere is just what we'll have to do. There has to be a safe place somewhere. Staying here and thinking isn't going to get us anywhere."

Scarlett stared back at Daryl. His eyes drifted away from hers and scanned the yard behind her. There was something mysterious about him. Every time she looked at him she could never tell what he was thinking. One minute he helped her stitch up her hand, actually talked with her, then the next he avoided her like the plague. He was completely unreadable and she couldn't stand it.

"I reckon movin on is just as good as stayin here. Well better I guess. We ain't getting shit done sittin here," he finally muttered.

Scarlett strained her ears in between Daryl's words as a slight rumble echoed in the distance.

"We need to get all of the food and supplies we can outta that house though," he continued.

"Wait wait wait, do you hear that?" Scarlett interrupted him quickly.

He stopped talking but his eyes stayed focused on hers as he listened hard.

She looked up at the sky frantically. The noise grew louder and he obviously heard it too.

"Right there!" Scarlett practically jumped off the ground as her eyes caught sight of a helicopter appearing through the trees behind him. She pointed excitedly, making him turn immediately.

"What the-" he trailed off as he used his hand to shield the bright sunlight from his eyes.

"We need to get their attention," Scarlett said quickly.

"Wait," Daryl ordered.

The helicopter was flying low, and lowered itself even more as it flew over the woods and passed over the yard.

"We don't know who the hell's in there," Daryl muttered.

Scarlett fell silent as the helicopter started over the thinner woods on the other side of the house.

"Whoa, something ain't right," he said as he walked toward the woods.

She followed his lead, keeping her eyes focused on the helicopter.

"It's flyin too low," Daryl barely got the words out of his mouth before the helicopter tilted in the air. Clouds of black smoke began pouring out of it and its flight pattern zigzagged over the trees. It soon disappeared, still heading in the opposite direction. Only the black smoke could be seen through the trees.

"They're gonna crash," Scarlett asked?

Daryl held his hand up. "Shhhh."

It was then that they heard it. It was a crash so loud that Scarlett jumped.

The two of them stood frozen and openmouthed, staring through the trees where billows of black smoke was now resonating.

"I'm going to look," Daryl said quickly. "Looks like they just crashed in the middle of them woods. Stay here, I'll be back."

"Whoa, no," Scarlett grabbed his arm. "I'm comin too."

His eyes locked on hers.

"I'm serious," she stated. "If you're goin I am too."

"Go get my pistol," he finally muttered. "I left it layin beside the couch."

Scarlett darted away from him and back toward the house. Her heart raced as she scooped up his pistol and darted back outside.

She looked around for Daryl as soon as she stepped outside. He stood by the edge of the woods. He motioned for her to hurry with his crossbow now in his hands.

* * *

Daryl looked up at the black billowy smoke as they quickly hurried to the crash site. Scarlett followed behind him, but they walked in silence. Every now and then he'd tell her to watch a briar but other than that, they walked in silence.

He stopped as a clearing came into view. The wreckage was smack dab in the middle of the clearing in the woods. They'd walked farther than he'd thought they would have too.

"Scarlett," he turned back to face her. "Let me see the gun."

Scarlett immediately held it out for him and he took it.

"Here's the safety," he muttered as he pointed to it. "Ain't got much ammo. Don't go shootin. Let me."

"Why would I have to shoot?" she whispered as she took the gun back.

"I don't know. Just in case."

The smell of the thick smoke burned his nose as he stepped into the clearing.

"Oh my God," Scarlett murmured from behind him.

Daryl ignored her and scanned the wreckage that was thrown about the clearing. He looked beyond a few bushes closer to the actual helicopter and stopped immediately.

"Stay here," he ordered Scarlett as he took a quick glance back at her.

She gave him an uncertain look.

"You don't wanna see what's up there," he murmured as his eyes once again fell on the body of a man cut in two by the propeller and partly hidden by bushes.

He took a few more steps toward it and looked back. Scarlett had taken his orders and stood still, watching him anxiously.

As he neared the body, he swallowed hard. He moved on, scanning the ground and looking at the wreckage as he stepped over it. The helicopter, still smoking, now sat only a few feet away.

"Shit," he muttered under his breath as he looked into the helicopter. The pilot was still buckled in his seat.

Daryl leaned in slowly and pressed his fingers to the man's neck, checking for a pulse. He had a gash on his head, but other than that, he didn't look to be badly injured.

"Daryl!" Scarlett's voice made him jerk his hand back impulsively.

"Shit! What!" he demanded angrily. He looked back at the dead or unconscious man, embarrassed that Scarlett had scared him.

"Someone's coming." she said nervously.

"What?"

"Vehicles!" she said quickly.

Daryl looked through the helicopter window and froze. Two white vehicles were pulling into the far end of the clearing.

"Scarlett hide in the bushes!" Daryl ordered quickly.

Just as he turned to run back to her, the pilot's hand grabbed his arm, immediately turning his attention back to the man. The man coughed and sputtered with wide eyes.

"Shit!" Daryl growled. He pulled his arm back away from the man and looked nervously back at the vehicles. They were stopped now.

"I'm sorry!" Daryl hissed. He turned from the pilot and darted into the woods closest to him.

As he dropped to his knees, he looked across the clearing at Scarlett.

He put his finger to his lips and she nodded. He looked back at the vehicles nervously, immediately thinking about Dee and his men. There was no way they would get away again if they found them. As a few men stepped out of the vehicles, Daryl took a few steps back farther into the woods, making sure he was completely out of sight. He knew he would have to go around the clearing and get to Scarlett.

* * *

Scarlett sank lower to the ground behind the bushes, holding Daryl's pistol tightly in her lap. The two vehicles stopped in the clearing and she felt worry in the pit of her stomach. The doors opened and men stepped out.

She immediately thought about Dee.

"Man out," a voice ordered. She bit down on her bottom lip hard, trying to decide if the voice sounded familiar or not. All of the men held weapons in their hands. Some had guns and others had blunt objects, like baseball bats.

She held her breath and looked nervously back to the other side of the clearing, passed the helicopter. Where was Daryl? She couldn't see him anymore.

From what she could see through the bushes, the men were spreading out and surveying the area. They hadn't even walked over to the helicopter yet.

She knew she needed to be on the other side of the clearing, hiding with Daryl. On this side, she felt far to close to the wandering men. The sudden impulse ran through her and she nearly ran out from behind the bush, the men hadn't made it that close after all, but a voice made her freeze.

"Save those rounds until you need them," it was the same voice she'd heard earlier, once again barking out orders.

She sank back to the ground again. The minutes passed by slowly as she watched the men wander closer to the crash site. A few walkers slowly drug themselves to the men and the men picked them off, all without firing a shot. She didn't recognize any of them, and for that she was thankful.

"Got a breather!" the same voice made her turn her attention back to the helicopter. A tall man motioned for the other men to come quickly. They worked quickly, carefully dragging a man out of the wreckage. Scarlett subconsciously loosened her grip on the gun. At least they cared enough to save someone. She watched the tall man suddenly look at the ground nearby the wreckage, where Daryl had told her not to look. He pulled a knife out of it's sheath and stabbed something on the ground that she couldn't see.

Scarlett looked away as he began to pull the knife back out. The men were beginning to head back away from the helicopter, some carrying supplies, and a few of them carrying the injured man.

"Let's roll out," the tall man's voice ordered.

All of the men followed his lead and turned from the wreckage.

Scarlett's breath caught in her throat as a branch snapped behind her. Her grip automatically tightened on Daryl's gun in her lap and she brought it to her side.

"Freeze," an unfamiliar voice shocked her, keeping her from turning around. "Put the gun down."

Instead of letting the gun slip from her hand, her grip tightened on it until her stitched cut stung.

She stared wide eyed at the men who were walking back toward their vehicles, unable to make herself turn around to see who had caught her.

"Uh uh uh," the man's voice behind her warned teasingly. "Easy does it girl. Mine's a whole lot bigger than yours. Put the damn thing down," the agitation in the man's voice made her blood run cold.

Her grip loosened on the gun, but her eyes searched nervously for Daryl.

"Atta girl, yeah toss it. Toss it to the side, nice and slow."

Scarlett bit down on her bottom lip hard as she tossed Daryl's pistol to the ground beside her.

"Hands in the air," the man rasped. "Nice and slow."

After another quick and desperate look around for Daryl, she gave in and slowly raised her hands.

"Now turn around and get up. Yeah that's right, give me a nice little twirl girlie."

Scarlett slowly turned around, meeting the man with a pistol pointed right at her face. Not again, her mind screamed at her. She wasn't going to be kidnapped again. The man looked like someone you wouldn't want to mess with. His stance, and everything about him shouted danger. His right hand was covered with something that left him looking almost mechanical. A blade protruded from it, only making him look even more threatening.

The man grinned. "Whooowee, who've we got here?"

Scarlett felt her skin crawl as the man stared back at her with his mischievous grin.

"Get up," the man motioned with his gun.

She climbed uneasily to her feet, stealing glances at Daryl's gun only a few feet away. The man stared back at her, studying her and only making her more uncomfortable.

"What do you want?" she snapped when she could finally muster the words.

"You alone?" the man countered back.

Scarlett fell silent for a moment, straining her ears to hear any sign from Daryl.

"I said are you alone?" the man asked again.

"Yes," she answered him immediately. She didn't know where Daryl had gone, but she wasn't going to get him caught too. Not again.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doin out in the woods all by your lonesome?" the man asked. His eyes locked on hers.

"Yo Merle, what you got?" a voice called from behind her.

"Another breather," the man smiled back at her as he spoke. "Tell the Governor."

Defeat washed over Scarlett immediately. She didn't know anything about these men and she didn't particularly want to.

"Got a girl?" another man asked. The voices of the men became clearer as they all walked closer to her.

"Who've ya got?" the voice of the tall man who had been barking orders demanded from behind her.

"Take a look Governor," the man rasped. "Found her just hidin in the bushes."

"Turn around. Let the Governor have a look at ya." he ordered, motioning with the gun still raised at her.

Scarlett turned back toward the clearing, immediately meeting all of the men she'd seen patrolling the area. The tall man, they'd called the Governor stepped closer to her. One of his hands stayed propped on a gun holster hanging at his waist.

She let out a shaky breath and lowered her hands back to her sides. All of the men's eyes were on her. She assumed that her face would have to be the same shade as her oversized red sweater.

"Lower your gun, Merle," the Governor ordered. His voice came out calm and collected, but his eyes never left hers. "I don't think she's a threat."

"Let her go!" Scarlett heart nearly leapt in her chest as Daryl suddenly leapt from the bushes not far from the men. Before anyone could react, he pointed his crossbow at the head of the Asian boy who just happened to be standing closer to the woods. Everyone pulled their own weapons up, pointing them immediately at Daryl. A pang of fear ran through her. It was beginning to look like Deja Vu, with Daryl coming to her rescue against a group of men in the woods once again.

"Hold your fire!" The Governor ordered. He now stood with his back to Scarlett but his hand still sat on his holster where he hadn't pulled out his pistol.

"Daryl?" the man's raspy voice behind her made her freeze.

Before her mind could begin to piece everything together, Daryl answered him.

"Merle?" He asked.

"Holy shit," Merle muttered.

He walked from behind her, stopping beside the Governor. An even wider grin formed on his face.

"Daryl," the Governor mimicked. "Hold your fire. The girl's safe. She's in no danger."

Daryl stood frozen. His eyes were on Merle, but he held the crossbow bolt still pointed at the man.

"C'mon baby brother," Merle tried. "Ain't no trouble here. Let Tim go."

Scarlett tried to process what Merle had said. Brother? The intensity in the situation kept her mind from working. She stared nervously at Daryl. All of the other men held their weapons still pointed at him, but kept their eye on the Governor as if they were waiting for orders.

"Daryl," Scarlett said softly. Her voice shook a little, showing just how nervous and shaken up she was. All of the men turned their attention to her before looking back at Daryl.

Daryl lowered the crossbow and Tim stepped away from him quickly.

"We've heard a lot about you from your brother," the Governor spoke, breaking the intense silence.

"Holy shit," Merle muttered again. "Where the hell have you been little brother?"

Scarlett stared at Merle's back as he stepped closer to Daryl. Her eyes fell on his right hand covered by the contraption. It made sense now. He'd said his brother had cut off his hand to escape the handcuffs. She'd just found herself in the middle of the strangest family reunion she could ever think of.

* * *

Daryl stood frozen, staring at Merle. All of the other men still stood with their guns pointed in his direction. Scarlett stood behind Merle and the other man, looking as confused as he felt.

"I'm the Governor," the man said smoothly. He held out his hand, but Daryl couldn't make himself move. Instead, he stared the man down before looking back to Merle and Scarlett.

"Why the hell didn't ya tell me ya had my baby brother with ya?" Merle asked as he turned back to look at Scarlett.

"Where'd ya pick up this little straggler?" Merle looked back to him. "She wasn't in that other group huh? Naw I would've remembered her."

"Governor," one of the other men murmured. "The pilot, he needs…"

"Daryl?" The Governor interrupted the man. "I'm sure Merle will explain the situation to you but I must apologize. The pilot needs medical attention right away. And Merle, I expect you to bring the two of them back to the town as soon as possible. We'll talk there."

"Yes sir," Merle said.

Sir? Daryl stared at his brother, completely surprised with Merle's obedience.

The Governor turned looked to look at Scarlett one last time and then started walking back toward the vehicles parked at the other end of the clearing. He motioned and the other men followed.

"I was beginning to think you was a goner," Merle said with a laugh. "You sure are a sight for sore eyes."

"I thought you were a goner," Daryl snapped almost angrily. "We went back to fuckin look for you and I found you damn hand!"

Merle shook his head. "That pig cuffed me to the roof and that nigger lost the key."

Daryl stared back at his brother. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the bayonet like thing that took the place of his hand. How many times had he imagined finding his brother again? Now that he found him, he wasn't even sure what to think.

"So are ya gonna introduce me to your girl?" Daryl felt a slight wave of anger as Merle turned back to Scarlett who was still standing rooted to the same place.

Daryl looked back at her and then at Merle who's eyes were focused on her.

"I'm Scarlett," she murmured a little uneasily when Daryl didn't introduce her.

"Scarlett," Merle repeated her name. "Ain't that like another word for a whore?"

Scarlett glared back at Merle, but she didn't say anything to his rude remark.

"So why are you two alone in the woods? You gotta fill me in on what you've been up too little brother. I see ya found you a girl."

"First you gotta tell me what the hell is goin on here and who the hell all them men are. What town are they talking about?" Daryl demanded.

"We can talk about it on the way," Merle muttered. "C'mon, my truck's parked a little ways that way."

He bent down and picked something up beside Scarlett. It took Daryl only a second to realize that it was his pistol. Merle then started walking in the direction he'd pointed.

"C'mon. Let's not keep the Governor waiting. Sides, it's almost dinnertime," Merle called after them.

Daryl started walking and Scarlett hurried to his side.

"What are we doing?" she demanded. Her wide, worried eyes stared back at him. "I know he's your brother but I don't think this is a good idea."

"They coulda shot me but they didn't," Daryl whispered. "They took that pilot to help him."

"I don't wanna go," she hissed.

Merle turned back. "Are ya lovebirds fuckin comin?"

"Yeah," Daryl muttered.

"Listen," he whispered as he brought his attention back to Scarlett. "I'll talk to him on the way. See what this town is. If it ain't worth it, we'll get him to drop us out alright?"

Scarlett nodded back at him slowly.

Daryl looked back ahead at his brother, unsure what he and Scarlett were getting themselves into. It's not like he could leave his brother again though, not after finding him.

* * *

"It's Woodbury," Merle said as he started the truck.

"There's actually a fuckin town?" Daryl asked as he stared back at his brother.

"Yeah. The Governor keeps everything together."

"You've been here this whole damn time?" Daryl looked down at the console between them. A radio with a walkie talkie sat in it.

"Yeah. He found me when I was near bled out. Was about ready to make a bullet my last meal. I was in real rough shape and he took me in. But enough about all this. The Governor will tell you the whole damn story. He's like a proud papa talking about Woodbury. Tell me about your girl."

Daryl stared out the windshield. His brother hadn't changed a bit. It would only be a matter of time before Merle tried moved in on Scarlett, he figured.

"Scarlett ya said?" Merle asked as he looked in the rearview mirror to catch a glimpse of her.

"Yes," she murmured from behind them.

"Ya been takin good care of my brother?" Merle laughed. "I bet you have. Hasn't she Daryl?"

"Leave her alone. She don't wanna deal with your shit." Daryl grumbled.

"Oh so ya'll are fucking." Merle laughed.

Daryl squinted back at his brother. He didn't answer him again. If Merle thought they were so be it. A sudden though ran across his mind. Maybe if he thought they were together he wouldn't make a move on her. He felt embarrassment flush his cheeks as he returned his gaze to the window. The sudden urge of protectiveness he felt, even the urge to protect her from his own brother surprised him.

He turned around in his seat to see Scarlett. She glared back at him. Her blue eyes were still wide and worried. He felt like Scarlett deserved at least some kind of explanation about Merle. He turned back around. She was probably wondering why he hadn't said they weren't together. He'd explain everything first chance he got. Merle was Merle. He had been and would always be the same man and it wasn't just a guess that his brother would hit on her.

"When did ya meet up with her?"

"I don't know, ya know days just run together now," Daryl muttered in his way of dodging the question.

"She looks damn right fuckable. I ain't gone lie. She looks better than most of them women in town. Too bad you've already claimed her huh?"

Daryl looked back out the windshield. He was beginning to feel downright embarrassed having Merle around Scarlett.

"You split from that little group or they all died?"

"A lot of people died," Daryl explained, thankful that he'd finally left the Scarlett subject. "But we got separated from them not that long ago."

"They deserve to die," Merle spat. "They deserve to rot in Hell for what they did to me."

"Rick, T-dog, Glen, and me came back for ya," Daryl muttered. "You shouldn't have split."

"Oh so it's my fault that the Rick prick handcuffed me to the roof?" Merle demanded. "Has he died yet?"

"No, well I don't know," Daryl murmured. "Last I saw he was alive."

"Figures," Merle grumbled.

"Tell us more about this town," Scarlett interrupted from the back seat. "What's it like? It's safe? What kind of people are there?" Daryl listened to her voice. He could tell she was nervous, but was trying to hide it.

"It's safe like I said," Merle answered her quickly.

"What kind of people are there Merle?" Daryl demanded, understanding why Scarlett was being cautious. After all she'd been through, she was just being smart.

"Men, women, kids, you name it." he muttered back. "Damn, what do ya'll think we got there, murderers?"

"Well nice people don't usually pull guns on people," Scarlett said simply. "You pulled your gun on me real quick."

"You sure looked like your were gonna pull yours on me. Besides, who ain't had a gun pulled on them in the past year?" Merle shot back. "Oh was it your first time?"

"Enough Merle," Daryl ordered. "Leave her alone. Being too cautious ain't a crime no more. Besides, we've seen groups that ain't no better than them walkers."

Merle reached over and picked up one of the walkie talkies as he held the steering wheel with his metal covered stump.

He clicked it on.

"Open the gates for me. Be there in about five minutes. I'm comin with the two newest members of Woodbury. Governor is expecting em."

A voice answered him automatically. "You got it."

_Please Review!_


	13. Chapter 13

_This chapter ran a little long, but I didn't want to separate it. I guess that isn't necessarily a bad thing anyway. Thanks for the follows and favorites!_

"I'm just going to draw a little bit of your blood, like I did Daryl's. It's just protocol. You can hop up right here sweetie."

Scarlett followed the instruction of a black woman dressed in scrubs. She sat on the edge of the cot and looked back at the woman as she pulled out a needle and other materials.

It all felt like a dream, being led into a guarded town by the brother Daryl thought was dead. Even Daryl seemed dazed and confused.

He stood beside the bed with his arms across his chest. He hadn't spoken two words since his brother had left them to go and find the Governor. Merle had taken Daryl's crossbow and knife, leaving them both feeling completely vulnerable. Scarlett watched Daryl survey their surroundings. Everywhere they went or were brought to, he was always watching. Merle had explained that weapons were only allowed on the few that the governor entrusted with keeping guard. He was obviously one of them.

"What's this?" the nurse brought Scarlett's attention back to her stitched cut.

"Oh, I accidentally cut myself."

The woman raised her eyebrows, still holding the needle and syringe in her hand.

"I didn't get bitten. This happened yesterday. You can ask Daryl. Here look at it," Scarlett suggested quickly. "If I was bitten I would be running a fever by now."

The woman laid the needle and syringe down. She gently took Scarlett's right hand in hers and rolled her sweater sleeve up just a little.

Scarlett held her breath, realizing that she never put her bracelets back on. The woman only glanced at the stitched cut for a moment, though, and didn't inch very close to Scarlett's hidden scars.

"Roll up your sleeve," the woman said as she picked the needle back up.

The room immediately felt stuffy and Scarlett's cheeks burned, but she slowly rolled up her sweater sleeve.

When the woman's eyes locked on her wrist, Scarlett looked away. She turned her attention back to Daryl.

"So what exactly are we doing here?" she asked, not really sure if she was asking Daryl or the nurse.

"I'm sure the Governor will explain everything to you," the nurse murmured at the same moment Scarlett felt the prick of the needle.

"But we can leave if we want right?" Daryl asked as he slipped his jacket and vest back on.

"Why would you?" the woman asked. "It's safe here."

"You didn't answer my question," Daryl growled.

"It's not my business to discuss," the nurse said as she slipped the needle back out of Scarlett's arm. "The Governor will assure you of your safety."

"How's my little brother and his girl doc?"

Scarlett pulled her attention away from the black woman and toward the opened doorway. Merle stepped in and his eyes met hers. He pushed the door back closed behind him.

"Pretty good," the nurse murmured. "I don't see any physical problems. But the blood will be checked."

" I would suggest letting me keep a look on that cut though. It could get infected," she said as she returned her attention back to Scarlett. Scarlett nodded back at the woman and rolled her sweater sleeve back down, quickly covering her wrist.

She looked back to Daryl, trying to figure out if he had caught the 'his girl' part of Merle's question. If he did, he was obviously ignoring him, just like he had in the truck on the way.

"The Governor is on his way. He wants to speak to the two of ya," Merle said as he walked closer toward them.

Scarlett studied the man. His demeanor was different than Daryl's. Everything about him seemed different.

"Why won't anybody else talk to us?" Daryl demanded as his brother pulled a wooden chair to the middle of the floor and took a seat.

"I'm talkin to ya," Merle said with a laugh.

"You know what I mean," Daryl muttered.

"There's not that much to tell about this place, Daryl," Merle said. "It is what it is. A safe haven. You should be happy you and your girl stumbled up on us out there."

Scarlett rolled her eyes at Merle's word choice once again. When she looked back at the man, she realized he was looking right at her.

"I'll bet you're the reason that my baby brother quit lookin for me huh?" Merle murmured.

She shook her head quickly and looked back to Daryl.

"I didn't ever quit lookin for ya," Daryl said. "I didn't know where to look though."

"Uh huh," Merle said sarcastically. "Whatever. I guess the important thing is we're back together now huh? We gotta stick together bro. I'm just trying to figure out how you scored her."

A grin broke across the man's unshaven face once again as he looked back at her.

"So where'd ya come from Scarlett. How'd ya'll meet up?" Merle asked. He ran his fingers along the metal cover on his stump as he talked.

Scarlett let her mind wander back to when they had actually met. Daryl had taken her by complete surprise when she was running through the woods, tackled her and then they'd gotten captured by Dee. She stayed silent though, waiting for Daryl to explain whatever he wanted. While she was still unsure of how to take his older brother, she assumed that he knew.

"Cat got your tongue girl?" Merle asked, bringing her attention back to him.

"No," she said quickly. "We just ran into each other in the woods."

"Well ain't that a coincidence," Merle laughed. "Looks like everybody's meetin everybody in the woods. Hell maybe I need to head out there and hang out for a bit. Maybe I'll find myself a pretty little thing too.." Merle trailed off when the door to their room opened.

* * *

Daryl watched as the Governor stepped into the room. Merle immediately got up from his seat and pulled his chair out of the middle of the room.

"I'm sorry I had to run off earlier," Daryl didn't miss the Governor's gaze falling on Scarlett as he spoke. "I see Doctor Williams has gotten you both checked out."

Daryl watched the man unsurely. He felt himself become aggravated that the Governor's eyes hadn't left Scarlett. Daryl bit down on the inside of his cheek as he looked back at her. She tucked a strand of her wavy brown hair behind her ear and cleared her throat quietly.

"It's always nice to find more survivors," The Governor murmured. "Especially ones in as good condition as the two of you."

Daryl stared back at the man. He didn't like the way that Merle looked at Scarlett, much less this stranger who seemed to think that he was in charge. He could tell that this man had an ego by the way he acted. He looked like a politician with the way he smiled and conversed. The words flowed smoothly from his mouth as if they'd been practiced.

"Daryl, we have heard promising things about you. Your brother speaks highly of you. I'm hoping we can count you in on part of our guard staff," the Governor turned from Scarlett, suddenly bringing his attention back to Daryl.

He stared back at the Governor, trying not to show interest or disinterest at the man's statement. Merle speaking highly of him sounded as made up as Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny.

"But not right now of course. You are both our guests," the man added with a smile. "We want you two to enjoy your stay here."

"They've got questions, Governor," Merle cut in.

"As they have a right too," The Governor murmured. "C'mon, why don't you both walk with me," he motioned toward the door.

Daryl let the Governor walk ahead of him and waited for Scarlett. She began walking slowly toward him, her eyes met his as she did. It was like a silent agreement, the look they shared. Daryl could see the distrust in her eyes and was glad that she was just as leery as him.

"C'mon little brother, you got forever to talk to ya girl. The Governor is a busy man," Merle came up behind the two of them, throwing an arm around both of their shoulders with his voice barely a whisper in their ears.

Scarlett pulled away immediately and Daryl shoved his brother's arm off of him. He sent an aggravated glance to Merle, only to be met with one of Merle's signature mischievous smiles.

"Ya'll coming?" The Governor turned back to face them as he stopped at the door Merle had first led them through.

Daryl didn't answer him and Scarlett didn't either. They stopped at the doorway beside the Governor, waiting for him to continue.

"Welcome to Woodbury," the man turned the door knob and let the door swing open. The chilly night air hit them in the face immediately.

Daryl looked out of the doorway and into the torch lit streets Merle had already led them through.

Merle and the Governor walked ahead of Daryl and Scarlett, leading them out into the streets. Like Scarlett, Daryl took everything in. He eyed the abandoned streets and the walls that surrounded them.

The walls were made of tires and wooden platforms. A dozen or so men stood on top with weapons in their hands. The men paced around, turning to look at the four of them as they passed.

It was weird. Everything he'd seen so far made Daryl wonder what the hell was going on. He stole glances at Scarlett, trying to make eye contact with her. He wanted to know what she was thinking but she never looked at him. Instead, she eyed the men atop the walls, especially when Merle climbed the ladder and began talking with them.

"Are ya'll military?" Scarlett finally asked, not taking her eyes from the heavy weapons that the guards held.

"Hardly," The Governor drawled. He looked over at Scarlett and smiled.

"What about the other side of town," She asked. "The rest of the streets, are they all guarded like this?"

Daryl squinted out into the empty streets.

"It can't be," Scarlett murmured.

"It can. And it is," the Governor answered her.

Scarlett crossed her arms across her chest and shivered.

"Want this?" Daryl muttered as he took a step closer to her and began to slip an arm out of his jacket.

"No, I'm fine," she said quickly. Their eyes met for a moment before their attention was brought back to the wall.

"Got us a creeper Governor," Merle announced from his place.

Daryl felt a flare of annoyance as Merle looked back at them before proudly taking a weapon from one of the other men. He did it on purpose, Daryl knew. Merle was all about showing off, especially around someone like Scarlett. He threw up the gun quickly and shot the walker they couldn't see from their position beneath the wall.

"So Governor?" Daryl muttered. "Why the hell everybody call ya that?"

"Some nicknames stick, whether ya want em to or not," The man answered him vaguely.

"Governor's a title," Scarlett murmured as she walked closer toward the wall.

Daryl stayed still and watched the Governor. The man stared hard into Scarlett's back as she peeked through the crack in the gates.

"The people just started it," the Governor muttered.

"What people?" Scarlett asked. She turned from the gate. "It's a ghost town."

"In their homes. It's passed curfew," the Governor answered her, locking his eyes on her once again.

"Curfew?" Daryl muttered, more in attempt to break the man's gaze. It was bothering him, more like burning him up inside that the man was finding her to be so interesting.

"Yeah, come along," The Governor motioned for them to follow him once again.

Once again, Daryl and Scarlett followed the Governor across the streets. They stopped at an old school building and the Governor opened the door.

"In here we have an empty room," he said as he motioned with his hands for them to enter. "It's a small town. We converted the school classrooms into bedrooms for guests. Later we move them to one of the little motels or a real house," he explained.

Daryl followed behind Scarlett as they stepped into a large hallway. The Governor closed the main door behind them and stepped back in front of them to lead them down the hallway.

"You'll be more comfortable in here, Scarlett," The Governor swung open one of the doors in the hallway.

The words hung in Daryl's mind, and his stomach twisted into a knot. Was there any reason for them to be separated?

He and Scarlett both peered into the open room. A bed sat not far from the doorway. It was piled high with clothes and towels, a tray of food, and a small shower sat in the corner, hidden by a shabby shower curtain.

"Go easy on the hot water," the Governor smiled back at Scarlett as he spoke.

"There's hot water?" Scarlett asked, sending Daryl's stomach into an even tighter knot.

The Governor smiled. "Yes, and clean clothes, food, water, and towels."

Daryl looked away from the opened doorway and back into the large hallway. The hallway was illuminated by a few lanterns spaced out and hanging along the walls. All of the other doors were closed, occupied, Daryl assumed.

"And Daryl. I know I heard Merle say that another room in one of the guard's building was empty. We usually don't allow guests to stay there, but since you're Merle's brother, we'll break the rules." The Governor said.

Daryl stared back at the man and then back to Scarlett. Being separated was something he hadn't accounted on happening. He knew he wasn't going to let them put Scarlett in another room. Not yet. They didn't know enough about this place to be separated.

"I know you feel safer with your weapons, but it's safe here," The Governor murmured as if he could read Daryl's mind or sense the hesitation in his behavior.

"Oh and if it makes you feel better, we always have guards outside of the buildings or inside patrolling," He motioned toward the end of the hall where a black man was exiting a room. He held a gun and had a few attached to his belt. He walked briskly down the hallway toward them and nodded in their direction, briefly looking them up and down before he brushed passed them.

"Have a good night Patrick," the Governor called to the man.

Seeing the intimidating looking guard was the last straw for Daryl.

"We don't have to have separate rooms," He let the words spill out of his mouth as Scarlett took a step in the doorway of the bedroom. He didn't miss her shocked expression as she took a glance back at him. "We can share my room," he finished.

The Governor stared back at him for a moment before he locked eyes with Scarlett. She looked away from the both of them and back to the empty room as if she was trying to escape the Governor's strong gaze.

Daryl tried to ignore the slight heat he felt on his cheeks. He clenched his teeth together. It wasn't time to feel embarrassed about what Scarlett would think, it was time to keep her safe, even if it meant having to make a bold move like that.

"I see," the Governor murmured. He scratched his head.

Both Daryl and Scarlett looked at the man, trying to decide what his reaction was. He seemed taken back, completely surprised.

"That is completely understandable. A strange place, I can understand why you would want to keep her close," the Governor regained his composure quickly and a smile formed on his lips.

"I probably can't begin to imagine what the two of you have been through outside of these walls," he finished.

"I can assure you that everyone is safe in Woodbury, Daryl, But, we can have all of the clothes we had brought in for her brought to your room. If that's what she wants," the Governor added.

Daryl nodded. "Well that's exactly what she wants," he blurted out quickly.

"Is that what you want, Scarlett?" The Governor asked unsurely. He turned his complete attention to her, standing in the doorway of the room.

Daryl held his breath, awaiting her answer. Sure he hadn't asked her, but would she say no? The Governor was acting like he was the one who couldn't be trusted and it made Daryl bite down on his bottom lip to keep a scowl from forming on his face.

"Uh, Yeah," Scarlett said quickly. "That's fine. I can just carry the clothes."

Daryl felt relief wash over him that she agreed. She was hardheaded but she wasn't stupid. He studied her face, noticing the slight flush of her cheeks as their eyes met.

"Well okay come on then. I'll find Merle to take you to your room. I have business I have to tend to. We'll plan on talking more tomorrow. You both look like you could use a good rest. Maybe we can meet for breakfast in the morning," the Governor said quickly.

* * *

Scarlett held the clothes to her chest as she followed Merle and Daryl toward the guard's building. As it turns out, it was another part of the school. Once again, she and Daryl were led down a long hallway.

Merle rambled on as they walked, but she ignored his raspy voice. He mostly spoke about her as if she wasn't even there anyway. Daryl ignored whenever she was brought up, but it still struck a nerve with her.

Scarlett chewed on her bottom lip as she thought about Daryl immediately shooting down the idea of them staying in separate rooms. He definitely wasn't sold on the idea of staying in the Governor's town and neither was she. Even knowing that Daryl's brother was there didn't ease her mind. She wanted to see the actual people of Woodbury. See how the town functioned during the day. Then she would make her decision about this place.

"Here ya'll go," Merle pushed open one of the doors.

Scarlett peered into a room that looked almost identical to the one the Governor had just showed her, right down to the shower in the corner of the room.

Daryl stepped in automatically so she followed him in. Merle followed behind them.

"So what do ya think of Woodbury?" Merle asked from behind them.

Scarlett watched Daryl's eyes scan the room before he turned back to his brother.

"Who the hell is that guy? The Governor. Who does he think he is?" Daryl demanded.

"Whoa whoa whoa baby brother. Calm down. You'll get to know him. He keeps this town together. I'd suggest you keep you opinions to yourself. People might not like you bashing him."

"Hey Merle!" A voice from outside the room interrupted him.

"What?" Merle muttered.

Another man's head peeked in the doorway. A red bandana was tied around his head and messy brown hair.

"Oh," the man said quickly as he noticed both she and Daryl. "I was just gonna see what the hell you were doin. You're supposed to be on the wall."

"I know," Merle grumbled. "But this is my brother and his girl. They've finally decided to join us."

The man nodded at Merle. "Nice man," he said as he bumped Merle's shoulder.

He turned and left almost immediately. Scarlett noticed his size as he turned. The man was all muscle, much like the other guards they'd seen. What was the Governor feeding them? He obviously had strict physical criteria for those he allowed to guard the town.

"Well I reckon I'll give ya'll some privacy," Merle smirked.

"No, We gotta talk Merle," Daryl muttered.

"Later," Merle argued. "We'll talk tomorrow. We do have a lot of catchin up to do don't we."

Merle turned and started walking back through the doorway, swinging his stump as he did.

"Oh and don't be wandering around in theses halls. It's a good way to get shot, especially since most of these guys don't know ya yet. Either of ya," Merle's eyes met Scarlett's as he turned back.

"Don't be getting to frisky in here either now. These walls are pretty damn thin." he laughed. "Ya'll will get all these guys all excited."

* * *

Daryl shut the door as soon as Merle stepped out. He paused for a minute before he turned back to Scarlett.

"Well hi there roommate," She muttered almost immediately. Daryl clenched his teeth together. He knew it was coming. Could he really expect her not to ask? He turned back to face her.

She was standing with her arms crossed across her chest. Her long hair was tossed over the front of her right shoulder now, leaving her pretty face and neck almost totally uncovered.

"What the hell was all that about?" she demanded.

"We don't know all these people, Scarlett," Daryl grumbled. "I don't think we should be splitting up right away. All these _guards _walking around. They…"

"Well then what's with all this me and you fucking business?" She interrupted him.

"That's all Merle," he muttered.

"Well you sure as hell didn't correct him."

"I thought if he thought we were then he'd leave you alone," he lowered his voice a little, remembering what Merle had said about paper thin raised her eyebrows.

"He…," Daryl trailed off, trying to think of a way to explain Merle's behavior.

"He thinks he can get any girl, any woman, he wants. He just don't get the hint. He's the one that automatically assumed, so I figured it'd be better that way. Go tell him we aren't if that's what ya want," he spat.

Scarlett uncrossed her arms.

"Were you and your brother close?" she asked.

"I don't know," he muttered. "Merle's an asshole most of the time. I can't believe he's been here this whole time."

"So you want me to pretend like we're together?" Scarlett asked as she squinted back at him. "Are you sure this isn't some sort of ego thing between you and him?"

"I just don't like the way some of the men were lookin and actin okay?" Daryl said quickly. "Merle and all of them. It's weird and I don't want you around them."

Scarlett opened her mouth to say something but stopped. She dropped the clothes she'd been holding onto the bed and then looked back to him. "I'm not helpless."

"But we don't know them," he argued. "I don't even know what to think about that Governor guy. He has Merle whipped," Daryl lowered his voice. "Merle ain't never had a reason to respect anybody like that. Something about him is weird."

"I though he seemed polite," Scarlett murmured softly.

"Well he obviously thought you were something too."

"What?" She snapped. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know. Just drop it. I'm gonna talk to Merle tomorrow. This is the weirdest damn thing."

"I'm sure Merle will most definitely tell you what you wanna know. He looks like he's right up the Governor's ass," Scarlett grumbled.

"Let's just get through tonight. See what happens tomorrow. Don't get too comfortable though," Daryl muttered.

"I think this is all pretty weird too, but I'm anxious to see the people of Woodbury ya know? See who all lives here and how they do," Scarlett said as she looked around the room. "I don't think we should completely base our opinions on the Governor or the guards."

Daryl snorted. He returned his gaze back to Scarlett and frowned. "What the hell are you smiling about?

"You care about me," she laughed.

Daryl froze. He stared back at her numbly.

"You don't have to admit it," she smiled. "You're actions speak louder than your words."

"I just don't want ya to get yourself killed," Daryl snapped. He could feel heat in his cheeks.

"Okay whatever Daryl, but I'm about to take a shower," Scarlett threw her hands up and dropped her gaze to the bed. She began sifting through the clothes she had just plopped down.

Daryl's eyes flicked to the small shower in the corner of the room. A candle had been lit on the windowsill beside it, illuminating behind the curtain and casting shadows.

"Hold up," he muttered as he looked back to her quickly. "It's passed curfew. We ain't allowed out."

"So?" Scarlett didn't look up from the clothes.

"You're gonna have to wait till morning. Cause I can't get outta here. Merle said…"

"Well you're just gonna have to look that way," Scarlett pointed toward the wall. "Cause I'm sure as hell not passing up taking a hot shower."

Daryl swallowed hard, immediately picturing her bare back that he'd seen earlier. Only this time run water was coursing down it. Her hands were trailing down it, leaving behind a soapy trail. "And you shouldn't either," her voice broke his thoughts. "Since I'll be having to share that bed with you. You're taking a shower after me."

Daryl clenched his teeth together once again. Sharing a bed with her? It was hard enough just looking at her now that he had walked in on her half naked earlier that morning.

"This was all your idea," Scarlett said. "Besides it's only one night, like you said." She held up a white long sleeve button up shirt and a pair of black jeans from the pile on the bed.

"These look like they'll fit," she murmured. "How the hell did they do that?"

"Well they were watching ya close enough," Daryl grumbled back at her.

"They even gave us pajamas," Scarlett held up a wad of pink and black material. Before he could ready himself, she tossed the black wad at him.

Daryl caught it before it hit the floor. They were NASCAR pajamas, covered with cars.

"You gotta be fuckin kiddin me," he muttered, immediately looking up to meet her face.

She was smiling, holding her own pair of pajama bottoms. They were red and flannel.

"Think Merle picked those out for ya?" she teased.

"I ain't wearin em," Daryl tossed the pajamas back to the bed. He didn't hide his annoyance at the entire situation. He was pissed. Pissed that he was pissed at himself for volunteering that they share a room.

"Well you're wearing something. And it ain't gonna be them," she pointed at his stained jeans.

"I'm sleepin on the floor," he muttered quickly. Sleeping in the same bed with her was something he knew he couldn't do. He wouldn't.

"Suit yourself," Scarlett muttered. She let her hands drop to the bottom of her red sweater and lifted it up, readying herself to pull it over her head.

"What the fuck-" Daryl held up his hands.

"Chill out," she stopped immediately, her red sweater halfway up her body. A white shirt he didn't know she was wearing underneath covered her stomach.

"I'm wearing something underneath. Did you really think I was just gonna strip right here?" Scarlett demanded. Her blue eyes met his in the partly dim room.

"Just hurry the hell up and take your damn shower," Daryl ordered. He turned his back to her. His mind raced now.

He sat on the edge of the bed and stared at the door about the time he heard her pull the shower curtain back.

Why had he done this? He hadn't been on his own in nights ever since they'd found her. If he wasn't stuck in a situation where they had to sleep near each other, she was in his mind instead.

All of the men he'd seen made him uneasy. He didn't want them around her, or even patrolling around. He and Scarlett had no reason to trust any of them. It almost made him as uneasy thinking about them as he was knowing she was stripping down only a few feet away.

It was safer, he knew, sticking together. He wasn't even sure what this place was all about yet. He needed to talk to his brother, just the two of them. Maybe then he would find out more about the town and the Governor.

She hadn't said no, though, the thought crossed is mind. She'd agreed to sharing a room.

The distinct sound of her clothes hitting the floor on the other side of the bed caught his attention. The faucet squeaked as she turned the water on and then the sound of the shower curtain being pulled back into place sounded in the quiet and now stuffy feeling room.

Before he could push the image away, her body was in his mind. At first, it was her back. Her smooth skin, now dripping with water and her long, wet, brown hair, dripping down it.

Daryl felt his mouth go dry and he swallowed hard. Soon it wasn't just her back in his mind, it was her whole body. His imagination began running wild, making up images of her flawless body that he hadn't even seen.

A loud clunk made him turn toward the shower instinctively. The shadow of her body could be seen through the blurry shower curtain fabric. Although it was dark, the candle on the windowsill behind it allowed the shape of her body to be visible. She bent down and picked up something from the floor of the tub, maybe a shampoo botte.

Daryl felt adrenaline course through his body and felt himself grow hard almost immediately. Heat flushed his skin and he tore his eyes away from the outline of her body. The sound of the water changing course and hitting her body before it hit the bottom of the tub only made it worse.

"Shit!" he hissed under his breath. He squeezed his eyes shut, but his imagination ran wild again. What would it be like to run his hands down her slick body? Daryl forced his eyes open. He had a feeling there was only gonna be one way to get rid of this hard on, but before he could act out, he stopped himself.

"No," he murmured under his breath. "Not in here. Not with her in the same room."

Daryl paced by the bed. "Think about something else," he thought angrily. "Before she gets out."

"Walkers," his mind told him. "Merle getting left. Blood, Gore, his hand on that building, everybody getting seperated at the farm, when Scarlett had slit that man's throat."

* * *

Five, ten minutes later, the water to the shower cut off. Daryl took a little handful of blueberries off of the tray on the bed as he waited for her to get out. Instead of thinking about her, he thought about Rick, Carl, and all the others. He let his mind wander, thinking of places they could be or what could have happened to them.

"Okay, you're turn," Daryl turned at the sound of Scarlett's voice. She was changed into the white button up shirt and flannel pajama bottoms. As she stopped beside the bed, she began to dry her long hair with her towel. He could smell the scent of her shampoo from just that short distance.

Daryl didn't move from his spot on the bed, instead, he diverted his gaze away from hers. He felt his face grow hot, even though he knew she didn't know what she did to him.

"What? I'm not gonna look. I'm going to sleep. Sounds like we both have an early breakfast date with the mayor," she tossed the towel to the floor.

"The Governor," he corrected her.

"Yeah I know," she mumbled. "Whatever."

_Please review! _


	14. Chapter 14

_Thanks for all the reviews!_

_Leyshla Gisel- I like the Governor too for some reason. He's attractive in a kind of creepy and wrong feeling way haha._

_Fuchsia. Grasshopper - There's hopefully gonna be more cute awkwardness to come._

_Marianasgirl- I'm glad you decided you liked it. And yes i did watch the last episode. I never miss it haha. Can't wait till next Sunday night._

Confusion hit Scarlett hard as soon as she opened her eyes. It took her a few seconds to remember that she was in Woodbury sharing a room with Daryl. Where was Daryl? She sat straight up. Sunlight was now filtering through the cheap blinds that covered the only window in the room. The other side of the bed was empty. Even the pillows were missing. She stopped to think. She had to have fallen asleep while Daryl was getting his shower the night before. The door to their room was closed, like it had been when she'd fallen asleep and everything looked to be in order.

Scarlett jerked the covers off of her body and tossed her feet over the edge of the bed. Just before her feet hit, she noticed him. Daryl was laying on his back, on the floor beside the bed. He was wide awake, staring back up at her. His hands were propped beneath his head on the stack of pillows he'd gotten from the bed.

"Nice pajamas," she murmured, taking a quick glance at the white t-shirt and pajama bottoms he said he wouldn't be wearing. She bit down on her lip to keep from smiling.

"Shut the hell up," Daryl climbed to his feet as soon as she spoke.

Scarlett pulled her feet back onto the bed.

She watched Daryl stretch. His face and skin was completely dirt, grime and blood free. Seeing him this clean was definitely new and she couldn't pull her eyes away. She was surprised as a thought crossed her mind. He didn't look bad at all, especially now that he was clean. Now that they weren't fighting for their lives every second, it was as if she'd just noticed him. She immediately felt embarrassed and tore her eyes away from him, bringing her gaze back to the quilt that covered the bed.

"I can't believe you actually slept on the floor," Scarlett finally said as she yawned.

"I said I was didn't I?" he grumbled.

"Yeah well you also said you weren't wearin them pajamas," She laughed.

Scarlett looked around the room, stealing a few glances at him as she did. She practically jumped off the bed when she saw a pack of toothbrushes and toothpaste on a shelf beside the shower.

Out of the corner of her eye, she watched Daryl watch her.

He was acting awkward, like he had the night before.

"Here catch," she tossed a toothbrush his way and he caught it.

Scarlett sat down on the edge of the tub and squirted toothpaste onto her toothbrush. Daryl moved closer to her and took the toothpaste when she was finished.

"This is pretty great," she murmured before she popped the brush into her mouth.

She watched Daryl pop his into his mouth just as a knock sounded at the door.

"Ya'll ain't fuckin are ya?" Merle's voice called out.

Before she or Daryl could answer, the door opened and Merle stepped in, a handful of clothes in his hand.

"Here's some more clothes, the Gov wanted to make sure ya'll had enough. He likes his visitors to look nice for breakfast."

Scarlett spit her toothpaste into the tub and moved out of Daryl's way so he could do the same.

Merle tossed the clothes on the bed and Scarlett scanned them over. They were all women's clothes. There was even a pair of black boots.

"I like them pajamas little brother," Merle laughed as he pointed at Daryl.

Scarlett smiled as Daryl's face turned red almost immediately. He moved quickly toward the bed.

"Why'd the hell did she get clothes and I didn't?" Daryl demanded.

Merle laughed and pointed across the hall. "There's probably a pair of jeans in my room you can wear."

* * *

Daryl stood outside the door with his brother as they waited for Scarlett to change.

"Does this Governor have breakfast with all the guests?" Daryl muttered as a few men with guns entered the door to their hall.

"Not all of em. Depends if he's busy or not," Merle said. "The Gov wants you to be out there helping us pretty soon though," he finished.

"Damn, how long does it take that bitch to change?" Merle grumbled.

Daryl shook his head.

"Get in there and tell her to hurry up, little brother-"

The door to the room opened suddenly, interrupting Merle. The both of them turned immediately.

Scarlett stepped out, wearing the same white button up shirt, buttoned halfway up with a black undershirt underneath. She wore the black skinny jeans and black boots that had been sent for her. Her wavy brown hair flowed over her shoulders, looking soft from its wash the night before.

"Ooohweee. You clean up good Scarlett," Merle smirked as he elbowed Daryl.

Daryl ignored his brother. He let his eyes trail down her legs to her boots. The boots didn't cover much of her legs, not even reaching her knees, but they had a slight heel, only making her legs look longer and giving her petite body more shape.

He let out a deep unnoticed breath as she stood before them. It wasn't helping seeing her all dressed up, especially after the night before. Their eyes met and she smiled. "I'm ready," she said quickly.

"Yeah you are," Merle said.

"Shut up," Daryl snapped as he realized Merle's eyes had never left her.

* * *

"Just give her a knock," Merle muttered. Scarlett held her hand up slowly and knocked on the Governor's door softly.

"I'll see ya'll later," Merle said immediately

"You aren't stayin?" Daryl demanded.

Merle shook his head. "Wasn't invited." He turned and walked away, leaving the two of them standing at the door.

The door opened a few seconds later.

"Hello Scarlett, Daryl," The Governor nodded to them. "Come on in."

Daryl followed Scarlett in the doorway. He looked around the Governor's apartment. The walls were all brown and bare. A little clutter sat on most of the tables and chairs.

The Governor motioned for them to continue into the next room. They stepped into a small kitchen. The smell of food cooking met him immediately.

"Have a seat," The Governor motioned to the table.

Scarlett moved ahead of them toward a chair and the Governor moved quickly toward her. He pulled the chair out before she could.

"Thanks," Scarlett murmured.

Daryl glared at the man.

Daryl took a seat next to Scarlett. His eyes roamed the tabletop. It was covered with a brown tablecloth and plates had already been placed in front of every seat. A plate of obviously fresh cooked biscuits sat in the middle of the table next to a teapot. The fresh smell wafted away from the plate and enveloped the entire kitchen.

He stole a glance at Scarlett as the Governor headed back into the kitchen. She gave him a slight smile before returning her gaze to the Governor who stood beside the stove. He stirred something in a skillet.

"I hope the two of you slept well," The man said from the kitchen.

"We did," Scarlett answered him.

"Good," The Governor turned from the stove, a skillet in his hand.

He walked back over to the table and began spooning out scrambled eggs into Scarlett's plate. He then moved over to Daryl's plate, filling it with eggs also.

Scarlett picked up her fork and began eating hers, taking tiny bites. She looked to be savoring every piece.

"You know," The Governor said as he shoveled egg into his own plate. "The survivors we're finding now are few and far between. I'd consider the two of you very lucky."

He took the empty skillet back to the stove and sat it down.

Daryl took a bite of his eggs. The man picked up a small bowl from the counter and returned to the table with it.

He sat it down next to the plate of biscuits and Daryl realized that it was butter. He felt his mouth water immediately. How long had it been since he'd had a normal warm meal?

The Governor picked up the teapot and began pouring warm tea into three cups.

"I had Milton make us his famous tea," The Governor said as he held one of the cups out to Scarlett. "You'll meet him later. He's one of the more important people that help hold this town together."

"Thank you," Scarlett took the tea cup and sat it down beside her plate.

"Daryl?" The Governor held out a cup to him and Daryl took it.

The man picked up the last tea cup for himself and sat down across from Daryl and next to Scarlett.

"May I ask what you did before this Scarlett? We always trying to find ways to better this town and sometimes people's professions help us do that."

Daryl stopped, with his fork in midair. He watched Scarlett. She seemed taken back that the Governor had asked. After a few minutes, she smiled shyly and laid her fork back in her plate.

"I don't think I'd be much help," she murmured.

"You'd be surprised," the Governor said softly. He took a sip of his tea and sat it back down.

"Well I mean I didn't mean it like that," Scarlett said quickly. "I'm just afraid I'm pretty useless."

"I'm sure you aren't useless," the man smiled. "You look so poised and professional."

Scarlett tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled. She looked down at her plate.

Daryl glared back at the man. A flare of annoyance consumed him. How dare this man? He was flirting with her, and not hiding it one bit. It didn't make him feel any better thinking that the Governor had picked out the clothes she was wearing. Why else would she be given nice clothes and he wasn't?

"Were you a teacher or a nurse?" The Governor asked. "I know doctor Williams said that your hand was already sewn up," he motioned to it. "So a nurse maybe?"

"No, afraid not," Scarlett murmured. "Daryl fixed my hand up."

The Governor's eyes met his but Daryl diverted his gaze.

"Well that's probably a good thing. That cut could have gotten infected," The Governor said.

"Yeah," Scarlett said softly.

"Ah okay well…hmmmm…Let me guess," The Governor propped his elbows on the table and clasped his hands together.

"I was a bit of a starving artist," Scarlett finally said.

"An artist?" The Governor stared back at her. "Oh."

"I can't even say I was an artist. I was a wannabe," Scarlett corrected herself.

"I was taking art classes in college, never got much farther than that though," she said as she picked her fork back up.

Daryl forked up the last few pieces of egg from his plate and laid his fork back down.

"An artist would be useful here. This place could use some brightening up," The Governor murmured. "What kind of art did you do?"

"Anything," Scarlett said after she took a swallow of tea. "I used to paint more than anything though."

"Ah," The Governor clunked down his empty tea cup. "Well that's perfect then."

Daryl watched Scarlett stare back at the Governor. She looked surprised at his sudden excited behavior.

"Would you like to paint a mural of some sort for the town?"

"Oh that would…" Scarlett looked back down at her plate.

"That'd be amazing," The man finished for her.

Daryl rolled his eyes and reached for a biscuit. It was still warm to the touch and the fresh smell invaded his nose.

"It's been a while, I'm a bit rusty," Scarlett murmured unsurely.

"There's plenty of time to practice," The Governor suggested.

When Daryl looked back up, Scarlett caught his gaze. "Well I guess if we're staying here," she murmured, still keeping her eyes locked on his. "I guess I could try."

"You're not staying here?" the Governor asked. He looked from Scarlett and then back to Daryl.

"We're just checkin it out right now. You said it yourself. We're just guests right?" Daryl muttered, not hiding the annoyance in his voice.

"Woodbury will win you over. It grows on ya," the man murmured. "We haven't had anybody that wanted to leave before."

"How's that pilot?" As soon as the thought crossed Daryl's mind, he asked.

The Governor took a napkin out of his lap and laid it beside his plate.

"Doc Williams is doing everything she can for him. He's barely conscious, but it doesn't look good."

The Governor's eyes roamed the table as he talked. When he stopped talking, Daryl looked to see where his eyes were focused.

He was looking at Scarlett's wrist. She held her cup to her mouth and the long sleeve of her white shirt pulled back at little, revealing a slight view of her scars.

She seemed to have noticed too because she sat the cup down and her hand immediately rested back in her lap.

Daryl cleared his throat and took another bite of biscuit. He stole a few glances at the Governor who was now staring down at his plate.

A knock at the door sounded and rescued them from the awkward silence that had fallen between the three of them.

The Governor got up immediately and headed back out of the kitchen, toward the door. "Excuse me," he said quickly.

"I'm ready to leave this breakfast whenever you are," Scarlett whispered. She leaned in close to him, pushing her plate farther on the table as she did.

Daryl shoved the last bit of biscuit into his mouth and nodded.

"What is it Merle?" The Governor asked as soon as he opened the door.

Daryl turned and looked as Merle stepped passed the Governor and into the room. His brother leaned and said something quietly, obviously so he and Scarlett wouldn't hear.

The Governor nodded and then leaned and to say something back.

Daryl slowly turned back to the table.

"Let's just go," Scarlett whispered. "Let's check out the rest of the town."

Daryl nodded and stood up. She followed his lead, immediately moving to his side. He looked back at her, surprised at her sudden readiness. She stayed close to him.

The Governor's eyes focused on them, but Merle was still talking to him, keeping him from addressing them.

When Merle finally stepped away from the Governor, the Governor held up his hands.

"Well, I'm sorry but I've got some important business to tend to," he said.

"That's okay we're gonna check out the rest of the town. Thanks for Breakfast," Scarlett said quickly.

Daryl glanced down at her as soon as she spoke. She was definitely ready to leave and he wondered if it was because the man had seen her scars.

"Wait," The Governor started.

Daryl nearly jumped as Scarlett's hand touched his arm. Her fingertips stayed on his skin lightly as she stared back at the Governor. He swallowed hard and diverted his gaze back to the man and Merle, finding it hard to focus on anything with her light touch on him.

"If the two of you need anything, I'm always around somewhere," The Governor finished. "Enjoy you're stay here in Woodbury. I hope you both decide to stay here permanently."

"I can find somebody to show ya around Scarlett," Merle suggested. "I was actually wantin to talk to my brother. Ya know just me and him for a bit."

Daryl stared back at his brother. "Merle, we don't have to talk right now-"

He didn't want Scarlett wandering around with a stranger. He'd just find time to talk to his brother later.

"I'll go find Liz. She likes to talk and she's usually up and about this early in the morning. I'll probably see her. I'll send her." The Governor suggested.

Daryl felt himself calm down a little. At least Liz was a woman.

* * *

"So you like living here?" Scarlett asked the young blond woman at her side."Oh yeah of course. I couldn't imagine being back outside of these walls," Liz answered her quickly.

A huddle of laughing girls caught Scarlett's attention, making her turn from Liz. She let her eyes drift passed them and to other people, walking or talking with friends. It was like a normal town. Some people carried shopping baskets and others ate at little tables set outside stores.

"So that's you're boyfriend in there? Merle's brother?" The woman asked.

"Well," Scarlett started, but the woman didn't seem to hear her.

"I guess he took care of you out there huh? He's the kind of man you'd want now. Mmmhmm I'd definitely pick him over Merle," Liz muttered.

Scarlett let her mouth fall open a little. She stared back at Liz. The woman's face was coated with makeup and her lipstick was a dark shade of red.

"Have you two known each other for a long time? I noticed you weren't wearing a wedding ring," Liz said quickly.

Scarlett stared back at the woman, completely surprised that she was assuming so much.

"Yeah we've know each other for a while," she finally murmured. She let out a deep breath and looked back at the ground.

It felt weird, not correcting people that assumed she and Daryl were together. She felt guilty, but at the same time if he didn't mind then she didn't either.

"You'll just have to excuse me," Liz said. "I'm nosy but it gets a little boring being with the same people, hearing the same damn stories."

"That's understandable," Scarlett murmured.

"You see her," Liz whispered suddenly as she grabbed Scarlett's arm. She flicked her eyes in the direction of a young black haired woman sitting alone at a table.

Scarlett nodded. "What about her?"

The woman was staring into empty space, twirling a strand of her hair.

"Rumor has it, she's the Governor's new little bedmate. Somebody said they saw her leaving his apartment after curfew, more than once."

"Well is he married?" Scarlett murmured. "What's the problem?"

"He doesn't talk to her in public. I guess it's just off the charts. Of course he'd pick somebody like her. She could get anybody, I swear."

Scarlett stared back at Liz.

"I'm glad you're taken," Liz added.

"Why?" Scarlett muttered.

"Less competition for me to have to deal with. What will it take for him to notice me?"

"Oh you have your eyes on him huh?" Scarlett asked, realizing that the woman obviously had a serious crush on the town's leader.

"Yeah, stay the hell away from him and I'll stay away from your man," Liz laugh came out forced and fake.

Scarlett raised her eyebrows.

"They gave you those clothes to wear to the Governor's breakfast huh?" Liz asked.

Scarlett nodded as she looked down at her boots.

"Of course," the blond murmured.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Scarlett asked quickly.

"I don't know," the woman grumbled. "I just think they really like having their eye candy around. Ain't nothin much else to do in this town."

Liz led her a little ways down the street and motioned toward a little table.

Scarlett took a seat as Liz did.

"Are you saying I look like a slut?" Scarlett asked, making sure to force a smile so that she wouldn't sound rude."No," Liz looked right back at her. "You don't. You're just new here and you're obviously gonna catch some attention. They didn't have to dress you up nice to top it off."

Scarlett looked back out into the street. A group of guards were walking together. They all held their weapons in their hands. She recognized a few of them from the night before. One of the men looked her way. Their eyes met for a moment and Scarlett looked away. She looked back a few times, noticing that most of their eyes were still on her.

"Yeah, I don't much like being the new girl," Scarlett murmured under her breath. "Feels like high school all over again."

"Oh and that girl," Scarlett's attention was torn away from the men. Liz pointed to a woman with short brown hair walking farther down the street. "She's pregnant. I knew it was gonna happen. Scarlett, You want the dirt on anybody here, you come to me girl."

"Oh," Scarlett raised her eyebrows. "Okay then." She cleared her throat and looked back toward the Governor's apartment building. She wasn't even sure where Merle had taken Daryl but he needed to hurry up. She didn't know how much more listening to Liz she could take. She almost wished she was back in the awkward silence after the Governor had seen her scars.

* * *

Daryl stood by the now closed and locked door to the Governor's apartment with Merle close by.

"Why aren't you planning on stayin here?" Merle asked.

Daryl shrugged. "We're just checking it out, Merle. How'd ya know anyway?"

"Governor just said you weren't sold on this place yet," Merle muttered.

That's exactly it," Daryl murmured.

"You'd be stupid not to stay here Daryl. You and your girl are safe here. Think about if you two were out on your own again. Something happens to you. What's gonna happen to her?"

Daryl stared back at his brother. "She was on her own before we met, Merle."

"Well why ain't she now?"

Daryl diverted his gaze from Merle's, automatically thinking about everything she'd been through with Dee's group.

"She got caught up with a crazy group of assholes right before I found her," he finally murmured.

"Ah," Merle said. "Wondered how she was fairing out on her on and not runnin into anybody. Even covered in dirty clothes, she's an eye catcher bro. Somebody'll steal her away from ya. You save her or something? You turned out to be her knight in shining armor? Is that why she stayed with ya?"

"Long story," Daryl grumbled.

"What's gone keep her from running into another group that ain't as friendly as us out there?"

"It ain't gonna happen again," Daryl snapped.

"Well I hope not, Daryl, but you don't know what can happen outside of these walls. She'd always gonna be protected here. Even if something did happen to ya. She'd be safe. Now that sounds like a hell of a lot better plan than trying it again out there. Besides, you ain't gonna leave me again are ya?"

Daryl stared back at his brother. Everything he said made sense, but was it really safe here? He hadn't decided if Woodbury was a place he wanted he and Scarlett to stay. The attention she was getting was striking a chord within him.

"I gotta ask ya," Merle started. He looked down at his bayonet like stump as he talked.

"What?" Daryl demanded.

"Is she crazy?"

"What? What the hell are ya talking bout Merle?"

"Governor said she has cuts on her arm. Wanted me to ask. Don't get all mad. I'm just wonderin. She cut herself?"

Daryl snorted at his brother. "That was a long fuckin time ago. Before all this shit even happened. She ain't suicidal or crazy. She's normal."

"Well she looks normal. I was just askin. You know how complicated things are when people die and come back. The Gov didn't want her killing herself and coming back to wipe out the town. Now we ain't had a uproar like that and don't plan on it."

"What the hell?" Daryl immediately thought back to Randall as he stared back at his brother.

"You don't know?" Merle asked. "Where have you been man? If you die you come back, don't matter how ya die."


	15. Chapter 15

_Hope ya'll had a good Thanksgiving! I can't thank ya'll enough for reviewing!_

"So what did Merle want?" Scarlett asked as soon as Daryl pushed the door almost all the way closed behind them.

"Nothin," he muttered.

Scarlett stopped to look at him. He was obviously lying. She'd been able to tell he'd been bothered by something his brother had said when he practically rushed her back to their room. He'd saved her from having to hear anymore of Liz's gossip, and for that she was thankful.

Daryl stood still beside the door, staring into space as if he was thinking.

"So what are we gonna do?" Are we staying here or not?" Scarlett finally asked.

She looked to him hopefully. By now, she assumed he'd already made his decision and it would only be a matter of time before they left.

"I don't know, but I don't like that Governor guy."

Scarlett watched Daryl as he spoke. He clenched his hands into fists at his sides.

"I could tell you didn't," she murmured, dropping her eyes to the floor.

"Well he was flirtin with ya, just like he didn't think we were together!" Daryl raised his voice.

Scarlett looked back up.

"But we aren't…" she began but stopped herself.

He narrowed his eyes at her and she continued. "We aren't together, Daryl," she said softer.

"He don't know that!" Daryl exploded. "Merle thinks we are, that guy should too!"

Scarlett fell silent, surprised at Daryl's outburst. His mouth formed into a tight pout as he stared back at her.

"He already has a girl. Liz told me he's sleepin with some girl," Scarlett murmured after a few minutes of silence.

"That don't mean he wouldn't try nothing with you," Daryl muttered exasperatedly.

As soon as he said it, he looked down at the floor and rubbed his slightly scruffy beard.

Scarlett bit down on her bottom lip to keep a smile from forming on her lips. He cared about her, she knew that. She just found it funny that it embarrassed him so.

"I think you're worrying too much, Daryl. Maybe he was just bein polite," she said.

Daryl looked back up from the floor.

"He didn't pull my chair out for me or leave me nice clothes!" His anger showed through his hand movements as he talked. "He didn't look at me like I was a fresh piece of meat!" Daryl moved closer to her as he raised his voice.

Scarlett took a step back toward the wall instinctively.

"God, Daryl. I understand you care but geesh me and you aren't sleeping together or anything," she muttered.

Her eyes dropped to her boots as she tried to escape his angry fixed gaze.

It was then that he made his move. She didn't see him moving her way until the last minute.

Out of instinct, she held up her hand as his body came against hers. She stepped backward toward the wall but he only moved closer. Her hand landed on cotton of his shirt, leaving only a small empty space between their bodies. She felt his heart pounding in his chest. His hands met the wall on either side of her shoulders.

Scarlett flinched at first, bringing her eyes slowly up to meet his. The first thing that came to her mind was that he was angry, but as she looked into his eyes only a few inches from hers, she saw something else.

She froze, her hand still resting on his chest as her breath caught in her throat.

He was going to kiss her. The sudden thought sent her heart hammering in her chest. She rested her head against the wall and looked back at him. She let her eyes drift down to his mouth. When he didn't make a move, she looked back into his eyes.

"Daryl?" she finally half choked out.

If he wasn't going to kiss her what was he doing? She became suddenly aware of the awkward position she was in. He had her practically pinned to the wall.

Scarlett watched his eyes drift from hers to her mouth. Why wouldn't he just do it? She wanted him too. She wanted to tell him to, to just blurt it out, but she stood frozen.

She allowed her hand to slip a little farther down his chest and he let out a deep breath.

She swallowed hard. What was it? Could he not see that she wanted him?

It was then that she saw it, the slight movement of his face toward hers, and the movement of his body against her hand.

She closed her eyes, waiting for the moment their lips would meet.

Scarlett's eyes flicked open at the sound of a whistle. The familiar wolf whistle. She immediately saw Daryl retracting from her and turning toward the now opened door.

Merle stood in the doorway, a wide grin on his face.

"Ain't you romantic. "Just gonna fuck her against the wall?" He laughed.

Merle's words barely registered in Scarlett's mind. She stayed frozen, her back still pressed against the wall.

'Damn Merle,' her mind screamed.

Heat flushed her face as Daryl kept walking away from her. He stopped in front of his brother.

"What the hell do you want?" He demanded angrily. His voice sounded gruffer than usual.

"Might wanna close the door all the way next time bro. I woulda knocked then. I was just comin by to say me, the Gov, and most of the guys gotta go on a little run. There's a small chance we got a few military survivors out there. Pilot told us."

"He's alive?" Daryl asked gruffly.

"Barely," Merle muttered. "Ain't looking good though. Might not make it through the night. He was conscious barely long enough to tell us where he'd last seen his men. He said they had an attack, probably walkers, but we ain't sure."

Scarlett stepped away from the wall and crossed her arms across her chest.

"I was gone say keep an eye on things for us but your eyes are gone be on something else ain't they?" Merle said. His eyes met hers and he smiled.

She didn't hide the scowl she felt crossing her face.

"Aint fair, Daryl," Merle muttered.

"If ya ever get tired of ole Darlina here," he said as he pointed to his brother. "Remember ole Merle is right across the hall. I'm a bit classier. Usually use the bed…..or the shower. Or heck, if ya like the wall?"

A drawn out laugh left his mouth as soon as the words did, making Scarlett roll her eyes.

When neither Daryl or Scarlett said anything, Merle turned from them.

"Alright, we ain't gone be gone long," he called out as left the room.

Scarlett stared into Daryl's back. He made no move to look back at her and she felt her heart sink.

"Daryl," she started when she couldn't take the silence any longer.

"I'm goin for a walk," Daryl blurted out quickly. He didn't even look at her as he headed toward the door.

Before she could say anything, he disappeared.

For a moment, Scarlett stared out the opened doorway. The air in the room felt hot and stuffy and she couldn't make herself move.

* * *

Daryl stepped outside. The chilly air hit his heated face and he didn't stop. He stomped away from the building, heading nowhere in particular. A few people moved out of his way as he walked around the building.

What the hell was wrong with him? Why did he do it? More like why hadn't he?

He stopped in his tracks and ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't kiss her. If he kissed her, he knew he'd only want more. He wanted more of her now though. She acted like she wanted him too. The way her eyes little blue eyes danced from his eyes to his mouth. It'd taken everything he had not to crash his lips against hers right then. To press his body against hers. He wanted to run his hands along her body and hear her moan as she allowed his tongue to slip into her mouth. Before he knew it, his eyes closed automatically, only giving his imagination free reign over his consciousness.

'Stop it,' his mind screamed at him.

Daryl opened his eyes. He couldn't do anything with her. Every time he had sex with a girl, it was different afterwards. He didn't stick around them. One good fuck was all he usually wanted. Women wanted more, they expected it.

Scarlett was different though, definitely not like his once usual one night stands. She looked like the type of girl you could fuck every night and not get tired of.

He frowned at his own thoughts. Now he sounded like the assholes who had taken advantage of her. The very people he'd taken upon himself to protect her from.

'She wouldn't like you,' his mind repeated the same sentence over and over again. She thought she liked him but she didn't. He knew the thought of her would only be more tantalizing when she rejected him. It would come. She might would fuck him but she'd regret it later. He'd lose her for sure then.

He and Scarlett were seemingly stuck together. If they didn't stay and share a room here in Woodbury, she would follow him wherever else they went. Hell, if she didn't follow him, he'd make her. He wouldn't be able to stand the fact that she would be out there alone.

Daryl clenched his teeth together. Just thinking about her made adrenaline course through his body. How was he supposed to go back to that room and pretend like nothing had happened? A few people began walking close by and he tried to regain his composure.

He let out a agitated breath, turned, and walked back around the corner of the building.

Daryl heard the woman's sharp intake of breath as he felt the impact of her body against his. Something hit the ground, bouncing off his boots before it finally rested a few feet away.

The stranger he'd bumped into regained her balance and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry!" the words spilled out of her mouth quickly and she took a step back.

"Wasn't yer fault," Daryl murmured when he realized how distraught the woman looked.

She looked young, probably around Scarlett's age. She had straight, long, black hair that fell over her shoulders. She was obviously Asian, maybe Korean like Glen, Daryl assumed. It was her scared, wide eyes that caught his attention though.

She stooped down and picked up the book she'd dropped, bringing her eyes back to meet his quickly."Ya alright?" Daryl asked as he squinted back at her.

The woman nodded quickly and turned on her heels. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and walked briskly in the other direction.

* * *

Scarlett slowly walked over to the mirror. She could see the disappointment written on her face.

It was so close. They were so close. She felt his breath on her face. A few more inches and his lips would have touched hers. He'd changed his mind or held back for some reason. It didn't make sense for him to make such a bold move but then stop. He'd left her completely unsatisfied and longing for more she didn't even know she wanted.

Daryl was different. He actually acted like he cared about her. If he just wanted to use her like Dee had, then why hadn't he already? He wouldn't even sleep in the same bed with her the night before, choosing to sleep on the floor instead. What did that even mean? Scarlett didn't think she was supposed to take it as an insult.

He had feelings for her, he had too.

Scarlett turned from the mirror. There was only one way to find out for sure. Before she could talk herself out of it, Scarlett darted out the door as quickly as Daryl had. What was the worst thing that could happen? He could reject her, but even then a solution was easy to conjure. If he did, she would just stay at Woodbury. He probably wouldn't stay. If he was that confusing then she wouldn't be able to share a room with him or follow him away from the city.

* * *

Daryl watched the timid woman leave. She hurried across the street and to a building. She grabbed the pull door handle of the glass door but froze.

Daryl squinted his eyes as she let go of the door handle and darted away from it as if she was scared. The woman slipped into the open shop door nearby.

"What the hell?" Daryl muttered under his breath. "What did she see?"

Before he could get the words out of his mouth, the glass door opened. The Governor stepped out. He took a few steps away from the door, letting it close back behind him. The Governor's hand rested on the gun holster at his waist, his signature stance.

Daryl watched the man look to his left and then to his right. He took a few more slow steps, this time toward the opened shop door nearby.

He only made it a few steps toward it when the glass door opened again. Merle stepped out and the Governor abandoned his planned path. Instead of following the girl's quick escape route, he left in the opposite direction with Merle.

Daryl stood still with his eyes focused on the opened shop doorway, waiting for the girl to step back out, but she didn't.

What was she doing and what the hell was wrong with her?

After a few seconds, curiosity got the better of him. Daryl started toward the open shop door.

"Hey Daryl Wait!" a familiar voice stopped him in his tracks before he could even step off the curb and onto the street.

He turned to meet Scarlett She picked up her pace, the heels of her boots clicking the ground as she made her way to him from the doorway of their building.

Daryl gritted his teeth together, automatically forgetting about the strange black haired girl.

Scarlett's hair flowed behind her in the breeze as she stopped in front of him. She let out a slight breath, drawing Daryl's attention back to her lips.

He stared back at her, waiting and worrying about what she would say. Her blue eyes locked on his and her hands shot out without warning.

Scarlett's hands gripped the fabric of his shirt at his sides, pulling him in closer to her as she pressed her body to his.

Her actions were determined and confident, but when he looked back down at her face he saw something different. She looked back at him nervously, like she didn't know how he would react.

Daryl's body definitely reacted to hers pressed against his. He shifted his hips quickly away from hers, trying to hide it from her.

Without warning, her mouth crashed against his. He kissed her back immediately, making her grip tighten on his shirt. She pulled him closer and kissed him back desperately. The scent of her shampoo invaded his nose as the breeze whipped her hair close to his face. He automatically forgot about everything else. His hands moved to her neck, massaging it as their tongues danced. He forgot about the strange girl down the street. He forgot his earlier arguments with himself about Scarlett, and the fact that they were kissing in the middle of the street. Scarlett was intoxicating. The warmth of her lips and skin sent him reeling for more. It was exactly if not more than he'd imagined it would be. All the fantisies he'd imagined didn't hold a candle to the actual feel of her lips and body against his.

Scarlett finally broke their kiss slowly, and Daryl almost moaned in annoyance. By now, his fingers were tangled in her wind tossed hair.

It wasn't until she pulled away that he remembered where they were. He stopped himself from pulling her back to him immediately. His body craved her and his fingers itched to pull her closer, but instead, he slowly opened his eyes to meet hers.

His breathing became rapid and he looked away from her quickly, looking to see if anyone else had noticed their public display of affection. His eyes fell on a truck parked not far down the street. A few guards were working on loading weapons into it, obviously for their trip Merle had talked about.

Just before Daryl brought his eyes back to Scarlett's, he saw him. The Governor stood beside the truck. Instead of helping his men, his eyes were focused on the two of them with his hand propped on his gun holster.

Daryl felt a flare of annoyance run through his already adrenaline charged body, but Scarlett loosened her grip on his shirt, making him look back to her.

She was breathing heavy too, and her blue eyes were locked on his.

"Why couldn't you do that five minutes ago?" she whispered breathlessly.

"C'mon," Daryl grabbed her hand. "Asshole's watchin us," he muttered quickly.

Scarlett took a quick glance around before she allowed him to pull her back toward their building.

_Please Review!_


	16. Chapter 16

_Thanks so so much for the reviews! Hopefully ya'll's questions will be answered soon. I'm trying not to rush into things here. I want it to be realistic._

Scarlett felt like she was in an emotional whirlwind. Daryl pulled her back into the building with his tight grip on her wrist. She could still feel the sensation of his lips on hers. The way his hands had massaged her neck and tangled in her hair made her heart leap into her throat. Adrenaline pumped through her veins as she thought of his lips on hers. Now she wanted him as badly as he seemed to want her. It was crazy, the spell that Daryl had seemingly put her under. She hadn't had feelings for him at first, probably because it hadn't been long that she'd escaped Dee. He was a stranger, and she'd kept her walls high. Things had taken a sharp and unexpected turn by now though.

Scarlett was attracted to Daryl. She was finally allowing herself to accept it. Of course he was physically attractive, but not only that. Daryl cared about her. He might argue her down about it but at the end of the day it was completely obvious. His protectiveness was actually quite flattering, and she'd noticed the jealousy he showed when she was around others.

Luckily there was no one in the hallway. Scarlett could only imagine how desperate their pace seemed. She allowed herself to be tugged back into their room and Daryl let go of her wrist. He kicked the door closed with his foot and looked around the room desperately. Scarlett took the chance to take a deep breath. She watched him jerk a wooden chair from the corner of the room. He scraped it across the floor, not bothering to stifle the noise it made.

When she realized what he was doing, she felt her pulse quicken. Daryl shoved the chair underneath the doorknob, obviously making sure they wouldn't be disturbed this time. He turned immediately and his eyes locked on hers.

Her first move initiating their first kiss was all he seemingly needed. His look, the burning intensity in his eyes, let her know that his earlier resistance was completely gone.

Scarlett bit her bottom lip to hide her smile. She took a few steps backwards toward the wall.

"Now where were we earlier?" She asked playfully when she felt her back touch the wall.

Daryl moved toward her quickly and his hands shot out immediately

His right hand gripped her waist and his left hand palmed the wall by her head. One of his knees automatically slipped in between her legs and rested against the wall, leaving their bodies pressed together.

Scarlett maintained eye contact with him, studying the intensity as his face sat only inches away from hers.

"Sure ya wanna do this?" Daryl asked breathily.

Scarlett stared back at him, surprised that he would even ask. Obviously she did. She licked her lips as she thought about their kiss only minutes ago. Her heart began to race at just the thought.

To answer his question, Scarlett leaned in kissed him. She let her lips gently touch his and he kissed her back automatically, pressing his body to hers and squeezing her waist as he did.

She let out a moan and allowed his tongue to enter her mouth. Scarlett raised her arms and rested them on his shoulders, letting her fingers play with the back of his hair.

The intensity of the moment overcame the both of them as their tongues danced and their hands massaged and rolled over each other's skin.

Daryl's hands toyed with the bottom of her shirt lifting it a little and letting his rough hands massage her bare skin underneath. He broke their kiss and let his mouth drop down to her neck.

Scarlett automatically leaned her head back against the wall. The sensations of his mouth on her neck and his rough hands caressing her stomach and waist was overwhelming. She whimpered lightly as anticipation rippled through her body in the form of a shiver.

Daryl rocked forward and pinned her back to the wall with his body. His mouth left her neck and his hands moved to the buttons on her white shirt.

Scarlett dropped her hands from around his neck. She leaned back and watched his face as his hands fumbled with her buttons.

When he moved to the last button, Scarlett eased her weight off the wall and allowed him to help her slip if off her shoulders.

He wasted no time in grabbing her undershirt. She raised her arms parallel to the wall, and he pulled it over her head.

As soon as her shirt was off and tossed to the floor, Daryl's left hand gripped her right, holding it up high against the wall. Scarlett interlocked her fingers with his, allowing his hand to pin hers to the wall.

His other hand snuck around her back and fumbled with her bra strap. This left their faces not even an inch away from each other. His breath felt hot on her face and his expression was determined.

To Scarlett's surprise, it only took him a few seconds to undo her bra strap one handedly. He unpinned her hand from the wall and she let the bra slip from her shoulders and off her arms.

She swallowed hard as she watched his eyes drop to her chest. Her hands dropped back to her sides. She sat back and allowed Daryl's hungry eyes to roam her chest and take in her body.

It wasn't long before his hands met her body again. They began at her neck, trailing down until he cupped a breast in each hand. His thumbs twirled over her nipples and she let out a soft moan.

Daryl swallowed hard and Scarlett threw her head back against the wall once again.

Daryl's hands slowly ran back down her stomach and around to the small of her back. He gripped her ass in attempt to lift her, and they both realized she was still wearing her boots.

"Damnnitt," Daryl growled. "Get em off. He stepped away from her slightly and she bent down to unzip them.

Scarlett's hands shook with anticipation. She held her right foot up and reached for the zipper. Daryl took another step back.

She was successful in unzipping and taking off her right boot, but by then, Daryl had already kicked off his boots and taken off his own shirt.

As she lifted up her second boot, Daryl's hands grabbed it and unzipped it for her. He pulled the boot off and chunked it to the floor in one fluid motion.

Scarlett's sock covered foot barely had enough time to hit the floor before he latched onto the front of her jeans. He unbuttoned them and tugged them down hard. As he did, Scarlett threw her arms back around his neck and let her eyes study his toned chest. She followed a few scars that she had no idea were there. All of a sudden she wasn't as self conscious about her wrists that were now wrapped against the warm skin of his neck.

Scarlett stepped out of her jeans and Daryl assumed his earlier position. He scooped her up quickly. She wrapped her legs around him and he grunted as he hoisted her up farther.

Daryl's hands held her back as he stepped away from the wall. He turned and tossed her onto the bed close by.

Scarlett landed with a loud _oomph_ as her body hit the bed. She scooted farther onto it and propped her head against the pillows. Daryl unbuttoned his jeans and kicked out of them.

His chest rose and fell with much heavier breaths now. Scarlett let her eyes take in his body as he stood over the bed. He was hard and Scarlett was wet. She wanted him, no needed him. Her fingers traced along the waistband of her underwear as she stared back at him.

"Take em off," Daryl ordered. His gruff voice was laced with want and Scarlett slipped her underwear off immediately. While she was at it, she slipped off her socks too. She laid back against the pillows, watching him look back at her hungrily.

Daryl let his own underwear fall to the floor and climbed onto the foot of the bed quickly. Her heart leapt into her throat as his hands ran up her legs quickly. His grip tightened on her hips and he pulled her body down the bed to meet his. Her legs parted automatically, and he pressed against her. Their bodies were so close that they could feel each other's heat. He was hard against her

Daryl's grip stayed tight on her hips as his eyes locked on hers. Scarlett stared back at him. With the look in his eyes, the heaviness of his breathing, and the tenseness of his muscles, she knew he would take her any second.

"Daryl," she said his name as she exhaled. She wanted him so badly that she ached and she was sure he had to have been able to tell.

Both of their wants were obtained the moment Daryl broke his concentration on her face. He lifted her ass off the bed a little and entered her quickly. A gasp escaped Scarlett's lips and she threw her head back against the pillows. He eased his whole length in to her, taking his time. She finally eased her head back against the pillows and looked back to him. He still held her hips as he began to move inside her. He eased out and then back into her.

Daryl let go of her hips and held himself up above her. His palms met the bed beside her and he crashed his lips against hers.

Scarlett pulled away from, unable to focus on anything but his quickening pace. He filled her, seeming to go deeper with every thrust.

His body moved quicker and more desperately as his body took over his mind. She clung to him, feeling the sweat that slicked down his body. His mouth ravished the soft skin of her neck every time she threw her head back and she dug her nails into his back.

Groans and moans escaped her lips as she felt herself nearing her own ecstasy. Daryl's grunts only intensified as he moved quicker.

Scarlett knew she was getting close. Daryl's name spewed out of her mouth automatically when it fell open and it only made his hands grip her ass and hips tighter.

If finally happened. Scarlett came with an intensity that she couldn't control. She squinted her eyes, threw her head back, and arched her back. Wave after wave of ecstasy ripped through her body as he continued to slam into her.

Scarlett cried out and gripped the bed sheets. She tightened around him and his hands gripped her tighter as he rocked forward into her one last time.

Daryl came immediately after her. His head came to rest on her shoulder and outstretched neck as he spilled into her. He nearly collapsed on top of her, barely getting his hands onto the mattress in time to hold himself above her. His hot breaths hit her skin as they both rode out the remainder of their orgasms together.

Scarlett turned into a quivering mess underneath him and he quivered inside her. Heat flushed Scarlett's body and she became aware of the sticky sweat that drenched both of their bodies. She laid still, feeling the intense beating of her heart all throughout her body and Daryl's hot breath on her skin.

* * *

Scarlett's hair was splayed out over her pillow and her cheeks were flushed red. Her body was slick with sweat, despite the dropping temperature inside their building that was changing to match the outside temperature.

Daryl listened to his own labored breathing as he watched her chest rise and fall heavily like his.

She closed her eyes and faced the ceiling. Quick pant like breaths left her partly opened lips.

Daryl looked at her body, taking it all in. It didn't feel real seeing all of her laid out before him. How many times had he wondered and imagined what she looked and felt like? Now he knew.

Her little petite body was amazing and her skin incredibly smooth.

Being inside of her was heaven. She was tight and the way she'd wrapped her body around him was perfect. Every move she made only intensified the feelings and ecstasy he was feeling. She'd arched her body and thrown her head back, bringing his attention to the delicate skin of her neck, chest, and body. She moaned in a way that made him lose it nearly every time she opened her mouth. She'd moaned his name over and over again until he literally couldn't handle it.

Daryl couldn't remember the last time a woman had turned him on that much. Scarlett's moans weren't forced or fake. They came naturally, giving away the enjoyment she was actually having.

One of her arms laid beside her, wrist up. He took the chance to look at the scars that tarnished her otherwise perfect and somewhat pale skin.

Not two minutes ago, those scars had rubbed against his body as she dug her nails into his back and ran her fingertips along his skin.

Scarlett didn't hide them anymore. He remembered how embarrassed she'd been at first. Now she wasn't. He respected her for telling him what had happened. He also respected her for not mentioning his scars; the ones that littered his chest.

Did this mean that she was his now? They'd jumped right in headfirst. He hadn't ever been one to do anything but that. Courting wasn't necessarily his thing. But did she see what'd they'd just done as anything more than just fucking? Did he?

The only thing he knew for sure was that his protective feelings had went into overdrive. No one else was going to put a move on her or be with her as long as he had anything to do with it.

She was beautiful lying there with her eyes closed, but she hadn't said anything. Staring at her silent, flushed face didn't answer any of his questions. Her silence was beginning to make him nervous, but he wasn't afraid she hadn't enjoyed herself. She'd gotten off, he knew that. But what was she thinking?

Daryl stared back down at her wrist laying beside him. He couldn't imagine her giving up on life and attempting suicide. Scarlett didn't seem like the type. From all that he'd seen of her so far, she was strong and he couldn't help but wonder if it was because of everything she'd already been through. She hadn't had an easy life and the post apocalyptic world wasn't giving her a break either.

It made his blood boil to think about Dee and how he'd treated her. He'd had her all to himself only beating her and using her, treating her like she wasn't even a person. It wasn't fair. A girl like this wasn't supposed to be treated like that. He clenched his teeth together as he thought about Dee's hands roaming over her perfect skin. The thought made the sex fogged haze clear his mind. It mad him angry.

"Remind me, why the hell you slept on the floor last night?" Scarlett's breathy voice brought him back to reality.

Daryl looked back at her face, meeting her eyes. She smiled and let out a deep breath.

"Wow," she half mouthed, half whispered. "That was amazing."

"I ain't gotta worry about you runnin after that Governor or ma brother now right?" Daryl finally murmured.

Scarlett let out a laugh. "You never had to worry about that and you knew it."

Daryl laid his head back against the pillow.

"I should've know," Scarlett began."What?" Daryl demanded.

"I don't know. It was just kinda funny when you walked in on me changing and then acted all bothered."

Daryl grunted in response. "Can't help it," he muttered.

She giggled again. "Why didn't you just say you wanted me? I was beginning to think you hated me."

Daryl felt his muscles tense immediately as men's voices entered the hall outside their door. They were laughing and talking excitedly.

Scarlett's eyes flicked open again and she took a glance toward their door.

"Governor's about to give his speech," a man's voice said.

"Think everybody'll buy it?" Another voice asked.

The voices became clearer as the men continued down the hall.

"Get dressed!" Daryl hissed. He jumped from the bed, immediately tossing the waded up covers over her body as he did.

Scarlett jumped at his urgency, but didn't make a move.

He hurriedly slipped his underwear and jeans on, taking quick glances at her to make sure she was doing the same.

"C'mon," Daryl grumbled angrily.

"Can't we just lay here?" Scarlett asked.

Daryl looked back to her she was still laying back on the pillows. The waded up sheets covered most of her body.

"I ain't riskin nobody walkin in here," Daryl muttered.

"Hell yeah they will. What's not to buy? Ain't nothing wrong with comin home with more guns, ammo, and vehicles. Only gonna make the town safer." Merle's voice sounded only a few feet from their door.

Daryl listened to his brother's voice as he buttoned his pants and grabbed his shirt.

"Aye Daryl," Merle called out as the door knob jiggled a little.

Daryl tensed up immediately and sent a nervous look Scarlett's way, suddenly thankful that he'd blocked the door with the chair.

At the sound of Merle's voice, She jerked the sheet off the bed and wrapped it around herself.

"What?" Daryl called out as Scarlett began searching for her clothes.

Unlike his, hers were littered all over the room.

"Get your damn clothes on and come see the shit load of supplies we got," Merle ordered from outside the door. "How the hell'd ya lock this door anyway?" He tried to jiggle the doorknob once again.

"Hold on a damn minute," Daryl growled.

There was an unfamiliar laugh from the hall. "Man Merle leave your bro alone. Them trucks'll be out there all day. How long is that nice piece of ass gonna be in there?"

Daryl shook his head angrily. These guards were definitely role models. He looked back to Scarlett. She jumped and wriggled as she pulled her skinny jeans on.

He waited for her to say something about Merle or the other guards but she didn't.

It definitely made him uncomfortable having her so close to all of them, especially when she was sleeping or showering. Maybe it wasn't the best idea for them to stay in the same building as them. Or maybe it was just time to get the hell out of here.

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Daryl muttered.

He held his arm out in front of Scarlett, stopping her in her tracks.

The familiar trucks that the Governor and his guards drove were parked along the street. Half a dozen military vehicles sat beside them.

"They found the military men," Scarlett said quickly.

Daryl eyes focused on the Governor, standing before the crowd of people. He'd climbed into the back of a truck so that he could be seen. His voice carried and Daryl strained his ears to listen, but he didn't move closer. Merle and all of the guards stood close by the Governor. Their attention was on him completely.

"We brought in three new people yesterday," The Governor spoke aloud.

"One was a helicopter pilot. Even though he was clinging to life, he told us about his convoy. I promised I'd bring em back here alive. But they didn't have our walls or our fences."

Daryl's eyes drifted to the empty army vehicles parked a little ways away from he and Scarlett.

"Biters got there before we could. These men had weapons, food and medical supplies. Now we didn't know these men but we'll honor their sacrifice and not take things for granted here," The Governor said.

"Wow," Scarlett murmured under her breath. "The military can't even fend off walkers?"

Daryl motioned to Scarlett and started walking toward the vehicles. They slipped passed a few random people standing along the street who paid them absolutely no attention. Their eyes were transfixed on the Governor. The first vehicle they approached was a huge tarp covered one. Scarlett followed him but she was kept turning back to watch and listen to the Governor give his speech.

"Watch out for each other," The Governor finally finished his speech and stepped off of the back of the camouflaged vehicle.

Daryl reached out and touched one of the bullet holes that tainted the smooth camouflage metal. If walkers had attacked them then why were there so many damn bullet holes? His eyes trailed down the length of the vehicle, following the pattern of holes until something made him freeze. It was dark red, obvious even against the camouflage pattern. Daryl reached out and swiped his finger across the splatter. It was wet and as soon as he pulled his hand away, he observed his fingers. He rubbed his pointer finger against his thumb, rubbing the red, sticky stain. It was blood. It had to be.

"Ya'll are still here?"

Daryl turned from the vehicle and faced the Governor. He cleared his throat awkwardly. He hadn't realized the man had headed in their direction amongst the rest of the citizens of Woodbury who had scattered and were returning back to their normal activities.

Scarlett's hand met Daryl's that was hanging at his side. He jumped a little and his cheeks immediately flushed with heat.

Her soft and gentle hand squeezed his tenderly, surprising him. It took all he had to curb the instinct to pull away. Not in front of the Governor, he told himself. He knew pulling away wouldn't help his efforts of proving she was taken.

Obviously Scarlett thought their little randevu was more than just fucking, or maybe she was just fulfilling his wishes and making it look like it in front of The Governor and his men?

"Yeah….Still here," she murmured. Her fingers slipped in between his as she spoke.

Daryl let the hand that was now stained with blood slide behind his back and out of sight.

"With all this ammo we found, we could take out a whole pack of biters," The Governor spoke.

He stood with his hands on his hips and his eyes drifted from him to Scarlett.

"It's a shame that the two of you don't know where your group is. We'd be more than happy to bring them here, save them from all that's out there. I just hate that we didn't make it in time for these brave men."

"Did you tell the pilot that all of his men didn't make it?" Scarlett asked.

"No," The Governor stared back at her as he spoke. "He passed away while we were gone."

Daryl looked away from the man. The blood was still sticky on his fingers and suddenly the guards conversation came back to him. In the hall the men had asked if the townspeople would buy the Governor's speech. What the hell was that supposed to mean?

"That's the wall," the Governor pointed to an empty brick wall space beside a shop door.

"What?" Daryl demanded, immediately looking where the man pointed.

"Oh, right, the mural," Scarlett answered his question.

"I thought that would be a nice choice," The Governor said. "The bricks are already painted white and more color would show. Plus it's close to the entrance ya know?"

Daryl looked down at Scarlett, trying to determine her reaction to the Governor's idea. Her cheeks were no longer flushed red, but her hair was messier than usual from their time together.

"That would be a nice place," she murmured, taking a glance at the wall as she did.

"I just want an Artist's touch, idea, view, ya know. Brighten the place and help with everyone's spirits. A little color can do wonders," The Governor murmured.

"Are you sure you want me to?" Scarlett asked.

"Of course," he answered her quickly. "If you've got the talent, now's a better time than ever to share it with everyone."

Scarlett smiled back at the man and gave Daryl's hand a tender squeeze.

"What are you wanting on it?" she asked.

"I figured we could discuss ideas later," The Governor suggested. "Whenever you're ready of course."

Daryl listened to the Governor talk and smile, but his mind was really on Scarlett's fingers intertwined with his. Every now and then she would give their hands a slight swing, making them look like a giddy teenage couple.

Heat flushed Daryl's face and he searched the people's faces that walked passed them as if they were all judging him. If Merle saw him holding hands with her, he knew he'd never hear the end of being a bitch or a pussy.

The Governor noticed when Scarlett put a little emphasis on their hand holding. It was then that the his face would change. The smile would disappear from his face for a few moments, but would soon reappear whenever Scarlett spoke.

She had to have been doing it on purpose, maybe for the sake of him being jealous of the attention Governor gave her. Or was she setting a boundary for this man? Letting him know that the two of them _were _together? Daryl wasn't sure, but for once in his life he didn't mind that a girl was holding his hand in front of someone else. He didn't care she was standing so close to him that he could smell the sweet smell of her hair. She was the kind of girl he wanted everyone to know was taken. She wasn't up for grabs.

"Well I've got a lot to do before curfew," The Governor finally said. His hands dropped from his hips.

"But Scarlett. If you come up with any ideas, feel free to tell me. I'll have some of the guys find you some paint when their out on their runs and I believe we might even have some here in town."

"Okay," Scarlett murmured.

"I'll just have it brought to my apartment," he added.

Daryl looked past the Governor. A man was heading in their direction. He was wearing glasses and his demeanor was completely different than all of the other people of Woodbury. He held a clipboard against his chest as he looked around himself nervously.

"Governor, Sir?" The man called out, making the Governor finally turn away from Scarlett and him.

"Ah Milton, this is Daryl, Merle's brother," The Governor motioned to Daryl and Milton nodded quickly. Milton seemed preoccupied and he quickly tried to get the Governor's attention once again.

"But Sir," he said quickly.

"And this is Scarlett, the artist I was telling you about," The Governor looked back to Scarlett.

"Oh," Milton looked back at Scarlett, holding her gaze for a little longer than normal. The man glanced back at the Governor and then right back to Scarlett.

Scarlett shifted her weight uncomfortably and readjusted her hand in his. Daryl could feel his agitation growing at the nervous man standing before him. Milton looked at Scarlett as if she was a ghost. He couldn't pull his eyes away from her.

"What is it Milton?" The Governor pointed his finger to the clipboard pressed against Milton's chest. The urgency that the Governor's voice held, made it completely obvious that he was trying to break Milton's attention from her.

Milton tore his gaze away from Scarlett and cleared his throat nervously.

"We just…I just need to uh…discuss something with you," The man stuttered.

Daryl furrowed his eyebrows at the man.

"Stay safe Scarlett, Daryl," The Governor nodded to them and motioned for Milton to follow him.

"Weird as fuck," Daryl grumbled under his breath as soon as the two men were out of earshot.

Scarlett's hand slipped out of his and she smiled back at him.

"They obviously can't help it," she laughed.

"That's the girl," Daryl hissed suddenly. His eyes had fallen on the same girl he'd ran into earlier, only a little ways down the street.

Scarlett whirled around to look in the direction he pointed, just as the girl disappeared behind a building."Shit, ya missed her," he spat.

"No I saw here," Scarlett assured him. "What are you talking about. What about her?"

"She was acting bat shit crazy earlier. Liked to ran me over in a hurry to go somewhere," he muttered.

Scarlet raised her eyebrows at him.

"That's…I'm sure that's the girl Liz told me was sleeping with the Governor. She's the only girl with long black hair I've seen so far. Definitely the only Asian," she murmured.

"Sleepin with him?" Daryl muttered.

Scarlett nodded.

"She seemed nervous," Daryl said.

He shook his head. "But I don't know." He stared off into the direction the woman had disappeared.

"Maybe she's just shy," Scarlett suggested.

Daryl bit down on the inside of his cheek as he thought.

"I'm hungry," Scarlett changed the subject. "Let's go figure out how we get food around here besides having to go to the Governor's apartment. Then.." she smiled back at him. "We can go back to our room."

She took a step closer to him and ran her fingers down his arm. Chills ran down his body immediately at her touch.

"Scarlett," he muttered, immediately breaking eye contact with her.

"What?" She asked quickly. Her expression dropped a little and she looked back at him. Doubt clouded her usually bright eyes and he saw the worry on her face.

It hit him hard seeing her react to his simple argument. She looked like she was about to face rejection, almost like she expected it.

"I don't like it here," he said quickly. "Somethin's weird."

Scarlett's face relaxed immediately.

"But Daryl, we're a hundred percent safer than we were out on the run, only miles away from Dee's group. Now we're behind a wall in a little functioning town. We have our own bedroom, food and water is supplied. What could be better?"

Daryl bit his tongue instead of mentioning the blood he'd found or his thoughts on the bullet holes and the guards conversations. Scarlett had obviously changed her once cautious mind about this place. She liked it. It had structure, and for that reason and that reason only, he liked it too.

"Besides, I know it sounds crazy but I'm itching to get my hands on some paint and paintbrushes," she murmured.

Her eyes searched his, begging him with her strong gaze.

"You're actually gonna do it?" he muttered as he stared off into the direction the Governor and Milton had gone.

"Yeah. Let's at least stay a little longer okay? We should be enjoying ourselves. Everyone else is. It's our break from fighting for our lives," she said jokingly.

Scarlett dragged her teeth against her bottom lip as she stared back at him hopefully.

"C'mon Daryl. Please? I'll paint and you can spend some time with your brother. Then we can spend the rest of our time together."

Scarlett gave him a smile.

"I don't want the Governor or those men to be around you," Daryl grumbled.

"He won't be. They won't be, Daryl," Scarlett murmured. "Don't worry about it."

"We're in the same damn building as them though. They're idiots. You hear em," he spat.

"It's okay," she said softly. "I just ignore em. If it makes you feel any better, we could move into another building or something."

_Please review!_


	17. Chapter 17

_I'm so sorry for the wait. I've been super busy with school and a few art projects I'm having to finish before this coming Friday. The next update probably won't come until the weekend. I'll hopefully be updating this story and "You only know what I want you to," the next chance I get, for those of you who checked it out. Thanks again guys. Please Enjoy and Review._

Scarlett sat at one of the outdoor tables close by a little shop. One leg was crossed over the other and a sketchbook sat in her lap. She was wearing the old pair of cowboy boots that Maggie had given her the first day she was at the farm and her pair of ripped skinny jeans with a light gray jacket. The chilly wind bit at her uncovered face and hands as she tapped the eraser of her pencil against her bottom lip. The blank brick wall she'd been put in charge of painting loomed in front of her. Instead of the wall, her mind constantly went back to Daryl. It'd been two days since they'd had sex. Scarlett was confused. After their first sexual encounter, she'd assumed there would be more to come. She'd enjoyed herself, maybe that was why she was depressed about his behavior. Things had gotten awkward, just like she'd been worried they would. Daryl was obviously stressed.

They were still staying in the same room, even sleeping in the same bed but he hadn't touched her anymore. They were arguing. He didn't want to stay in the town and she didn't want to leave. When she'd tried to get physical with him again, he blew her off. Told her it wasn't safe enough. That was his excuse for everything now. It was his excuse for him making sure that she was always in his sights and the same reason that he wasn't making a move on her again.

He got up early in the mornings. Scarlett knew what he was doing. He was snooping, looking out for anything that might seem off in the little town. Daryl was so sure that he would find something.

Scarlett was embarrassed more than anything. Embarrassed that she'd let everything go and enjoyed herself when it obviously hadn't meant much to him. She wanted to say something to him, demand to know how he really felt about her, but she chickened out. She was finding herself scared about what he might say. The silence between them was definitely no better than what he could say though. It didn't make sense. He was even more protective than he had been. She barely made it out of his sights. Scarlett felt like she was at a loss. Daryl wanted to leave. He wanted them both to leave, he was even willing to leave his brother. How uncomfortable would it be in between the two of them if they left together though? If it was just the two of them how would he act? Would he be the same Daryl she'd seen when they'd stayed the short night in the house where she'd cut her hand or would he be the same unsure and awkward Daryl she was seeing now. Scarlett wasn't even sure if she was ready to leave the town. Was she ready to go back to hiding, killing walkers constantly, or searching for food and water just to be with someone she wasn't even sure wanted to be with her?

Scarlett let out a deep breath and stared down at her sketchbook. She'd started sketching out the outlines of people walking down a street. Now she found herself frowning down at it.

Daryl had only been gone an hour or so. Merle had come into their room, asking for Daryl to go with him and some of the other men on a little trip out of the town.

Scarlett was surprised he'd actually gone. She'd pretended like she didn't care, but she did. It was eating away at her now, giving her time to think about their whole relationship or not relationship deal.

Daryl's behavior was odd but she found it all the more alluring. She was trying her best to determine how he felt about her without making herself seem vulnerable. If he didn't really care about her then she wasn't ready to profess that she cared about him.

Scarlett closed her eyes. It was something she use to do quite often when she was working on a new project. Closing her eyes helped her to visualize things and come up with new ideas. This time, however, instead of visualizing colors and paint strokes, she remembered the touch of Daryl's skin against hers and the sound of his breathing. It was all still fresh in her mind. Her senses were all afire with the memories of their time together.

"Are you okay?"

Scarlett's eyes flew open. A woman with straight brown hair stood before her, an alarmed expression on her face.

"Yeah," Scarlett said quickly. Her cheeks flushed immediately but she shook her embarrassment away. "I was just thinking, trying to come up with an idea for this mural."

"Oh, so you're the new girl. Funny how the town's so tiny but I hadn't even seen you yet," the woman smiled.

Scarlett returned a slight smile to the woman. "I guess so. I would've thought that the new girl label would be gone by now though."

"So the Governor asked you to paint?" the woman asked.

Scarlett nodded.

"Oh here he comes now," the woman pointed down the street. Scarlett looked in the direction right away. The Governor was heading in their direction. He was wearing a blue button down shirt and a dark pair of pants. His brown hair was combed over to the side, like always. Scarlett studied the way he walked. He carried himself, knowing he was in charge. He held his head high.

"Well I just wanted to say welcome to Woodbury," the woman said quickly. "I'm sure he doesn't wanna talk to me anyway. I'm Ann by the way. I'll see you around," the woman said as she turned and started walking in the opposite direction. Before Scarlett could even introduce herself, the Governor spoke.

"Hello Scarlett," The Governor said as he came closer.

He propped his hand on his gun holster when he stopped beside the table. "Mind if I sit?"

Scarlett sat up straighter in her chair. "Go right ahead," she said quickly. She laid the sketchbook and pencil on the table and tucked her hands into the sleeves of her jacket.

The Governor sat down in the chair across from her. He rubbed his hand across his freshly shaven face and leaned back.

"Wow, you just did this?" he reached over and slowly slid the sketchbook closer to him on the table. "This is amazing."

"Oh," Scarlett felt her cheeks blush immediately. "I was just scribbling-"

"I like it," The Governor interrupted her.

His eyes locked on hers above the sketchbook he held in his hand.

"God you're talented," he murmured. "This town is lucky to have someone like you here. You're a jewel in the middle of all of the rest of us."

"Thank you," Scarlett said softly. She diverted her gaze from his strong one. "But I'm not. There's nothing special about me," she murmured.

"Anybody that's ever told you that before doesn't deserve you," The Governor said.

Scarlett looked back up at him. His words caught her attention. Was he talking about Daryl or was she just thinking it because she was so unsure about their relationship. _Stop it_, she told herself. _Just because you're not sure doesn't mean everyone else can tell something is up._

"I have your paint in my apartment. I figured you would have already been by to get it," he said as he laid her drawing back onto the table.

Scarlett diverted her gaze from his.

"Oh yeah, I just haven't gotten to it yet," She lied. The only reason She hadn't gone to get it already was because of Daryl. She knew just how uncomfortable he was with her around the Governor. She assumed he would ease up since nothing had happened in their stay here at Woodbury, but he hadn't.

"Well whenever you want it, you can get it," he offered.

"I guess I could go ahead and get it," Scarlett murmured.

If she was going to get it, she assumed now would be her best chance. Daryl wasn't there to stop her.

* * *

Daryl stared out the windows of his and Merle's truck. Instead of focusing on the task ahead, he couldn't stop thinking about Scarlett. She was alone in Woodbury. He was mentally kicking himself now. He'd left her there alone just so he could talk to his brother.

Daryl wouldn't have gone if she wouldn't have reassured him so much that everything would be okay. She'd almost acted as if she wanted him to go.

Something was strange in Woodbury. He just hadn't figured it out yet. He was finding that by trying his best to keep Scarlett safe, it looked like he was pushing her away. That was the last thing he wanted to happen.

Daryl wanted Scarlett even more now that they'd had sex, but he couldn't do it. As much as he wanted too, he couldn't take her in their room with paper thin walls and guards walking the hallway constantly. He could barely take it anymore, sleeping in the same room and bed with her, but not touching her. The only thing he wanted to do was to get up and leave with her. Find an abandoned house like they'd stayed in, but Scarlett seemed content staying there in the little town. She obviously didn't notice the way the Governor or his men looked at her. Even the little nervous guy, Milton looked at her as if he knew something that everyone else didn't.

He and Scarlett had been arguing about the town and he was beginning to worry that she was pulling away from him. He couldn't read her easily. She clammed up when she was upset, unlike him. Scarlett thought the town was safe and Daryl disagreed. It was the main problem causing the rift between them.

Daryl didn't like the way the guards, including Merle snuck and slinked around. He'd been watching them, even the Governor, and was only feeling more and more unsure about the little town. He'd kept his eyes peeled for the little Asian girl, but he hadn't seen her anymore. She hung in his mind, though, and he'd finally quit asking Scarlett if she'd seen the girl anymore. She was getting aggravated instead of listening to him.

"You still act uncomfortable," Merle's voice broke Daryl's thoughts.

He looked back over at his brother in the driver's seat. They were now on their way back to the town. It'd been a wasted trip searching for supplies that they hadn't found. Another vehicle followed behind them, full of some of the other men that the Governor entrusted with leaving.

"I don't like it here," Daryl grumbled.

"What the hell's wrong with ya boy?" Merle asked.

"How can I act comfortable when that asshole of a Governor and half the guys here stare at Scarlett like she's a piece of fresh meat?" Daryl exploded.

"Why are you so damn protective of this bitch? You ain't never been like this before. What's makes her any different than the girls back home? You didn't act like this with them," Merle muttered.

"She's different," Daryl said as he looked out of the windshield.

"She's a pretty face but I don't see how she's more than that," Merle grumbled. "She's gonna get looked at. You look at her. Why can't nobody else?"

"She's been through shit. I don't want it to happen again," Daryl gritted through his teeth.

"You mean when she tried to kill herself?" Merle asked. "Looks like you picked a bitch with enough emotional baggage bro. I don't know if she's worth your troubles."

"That ain't what I'm talkin about," Daryl growled back to his brother.

"What she been through that nobody else has? We've all been through enough shit Darlina. Hell we've all got blood on our hands, all been through the same kinda shit."

Daryl scowled back at his brother. "Never mind just tell the Governor to keep his eyes of her. She's taken."

"What the fuck? I ain't telling the man that. He can look if he wants to. Hell everybody can," Merle countered. "You got a screw loose."

"Somebody already tried to take her from ya? That what it is? Some of your buddies that left me out on that rooftop tried to steal her away? Was it one of them cops."

"No," Daryl spat. "Not them."

"Well who was it then?" Merle demanded.

"There's another group out there somewhere. Big group. Maybe thirty men. They had her. That's when I found her, helped her get away," Daryl said softly.

"Thirty men had her?" Merle raised his eyebrows. "You've gotta be fuckin kiddin me if you want that now."

"It ain't like that," Daryl snapped. "It was one asshole. He had her locked up. Beat on her and everything. I don't want nobody else to hurt her or use her."

"You know you're just using her too," Merle muttered.

Daryl glared back at his brother. "No I'm fuckin not."

"You're fuckin her," Merle said. " That's the only damn reason you feel that way. Are you sayin you really care about her? Or you just don't want nobody else to have her?"

Daryl clenched his teeth together and narrowed his eyes at his brother.

"That's not it," he growled.

He stared angrily back out the window at the blurs of trees they passed. He was crazy to think he could have a normal conversation with his brother. Merle's words hung in his mind. His brother was wrong. Daryl knew he cared about Scarlett, but he didn't want anybody else to have her either.

Scarlett had to know he wasn't like Dee or his men. He'd only had sex with her once and hadn't even touched her since. That had to show something.

"Daryl. Just take my advice alright? Get your head outta your ass and calm your shit. If you just go with the flow around here everything'll be alright. You help out with guarding the walls and you can go back to your little bitch on your free time. Governor don't like people starting shit and freaking out. He wanted me to talk to you about settling down into the routine around here, and calming down."

"I'm thinkin about takin Scarlett and leavin," Daryl muttered.

"She ain't worth putting your safety at risk," Merle said quickly.

"Well if she ain't safe there-"

"Daryl she ain't the first pretty thing that walked through that gate," Merle interrupted him. He took a glance back to Daryl before looking back to the road.

"What about that other girl?" Daryl demanded.

"Who that Liz chick?" Merle asked.

"No. The Asian."

"What about her?" Merle muttered.

"Who is she? What's goin on with her? She was running around like she was scared the other day," Daryl said.

"I don't know. She came here a few weeks ago. I didn't go but Crowley said they found her and her kid holed up somewhere. In a house or something I think. They brought em back. I ain't been around her much. I ain't really goin after somebody with kids. Makes screwing around a bit more complicated."

Daryl squinted back at his brother. It was a typical Merle answer.

"Why would she stay if she was scared?" Daryl asked.

"I don't know. What the fuck are you assuming here? It's sure as hell's safer in these walls that out of em."

"Scarlett said that that girl was sleeping with the Governor. Said that loudmouth girl Liz told her that," Daryl said as he looked back to his brother.

"Wouldn't doubt that the bitch would say something like that. She talks a load of bull most of the time. I don't know if The Gov is sleeping with her or not. Hell it's his business. I don't let him know which chicks I score around town," Merle muttered. By the way, that Liz chick ain't worth it. She tried to talk my fuckin ears off. Ain't screwing her again," Merle took a glance in the rearview mirror and back at the vehicle of men following behind them.

Daryl shook his head and sank back into his seat. His brother's little pep talk didn't make him feel any better. He knew he needed to talk to Scarlett. They weren't getting anything done arguing and giving each other the silent treatment. She wasn't going to trust his thoughts if she thought he wasn't being completely honest with her.

"Just remember what I said. Calm down and be glad you ain't on the other side of the wall. People that left here always realized they wish they woulda stayed. It's easier to stay," Merle rasped.

* * *

"Did you have a large group? The one you and Daryl were separated from?" The Governor asked as he took a swig of his glass of whiskey.

"It wasn't that big. It wasn't even my group," Scarlett answered him. She was sitting at the Governor's kitchen table once again. The bag of paints and paintbrushes sat on the table beside her. He'd poured them both a glass of whiskey, but Scarlett hadn't drank any. She watched him drink his instead. She hadn't drank since her last depressive episode, the one that had made her come back to live with her mom here in Georgia.

"You weren't with that group?" The Governor asked.

"No," Scarlett brought her eyes back to his. "I'd been on my own just about throughout this whole thing. I was only with those people for a day or so."

"All by yourself?" The Governor questioned. "One against the world?"

Scarlett nodded. She tucked her hair behind her ear and brought her hands to rest back in her lap. A heater sat close by them and she found herself enjoying the warmth of his little apartment.

"Well how did you meet up with this other group and Daryl?" The Governor toyed with his glass on the table.

Scarlett stopped for a moment. It all came back to her with his simple question. Her mind traveled back to when she'd been alone. It'd been peaceful and hadn't even really bothered her that she'd had no human contact in months. But all of that had come to an end when she'd ran into Randall and gotten captured by his group. Daryl finding her and his group taking her in for that short while had been a blessing in disguise.

"We just ran into each other. There's not much to tell," Scarlett said simply.

"It is strange how we run into each other. Isn't it?" The Governor murmured. "Where were you staying that was so safe? At the beginning of this I was holed up with a few others in an apartment eating spam and saltines. We weren't even safe then."

"I was staying in a little abandoned town," Scarlett explained. She was surprised how easily it was to talk to the man. After a few days of Daryl's uncomfortable silence, she was enjoying small talk. "Most of the people that lived around there got bit so there was no one there to compete with, just the dead," she finished.

"You had plenty of food, water, and supplies then," The Governor said as he took another sip of out of his glass.

"Yeah," Scarlett murmured. "I did."

"I think it's worth everyone's while to talk about how we got to where we are. Our survivor stories are important," The Governor's voice broke her thoughts. "It shows us how far we've come. Made us who we are today."

Scarlett nodded. She diverted her gaze back to the table top. His statement made her think that he wanted her to tell more, but she avoided it.

"So Merle's brother came and swooped you off your feet huh? Made you want to leave the life of solitude behind forever?"

"I don't know about forever," Scarlett murmured. As soon as she said it, she mentally kicked herself. Daryl would have been pissed. He may not always act like he wanted her, but he would've gotten mad if she gave anyone any reason to believe that the two of them weren't totally and fully together. She wasn't sure if he wanted her or not, but she was sure that Daryl didn't want anyone else to have her.

Scarlett swallowed hard. The Governor's conversation only brought her back to the dark days she was locked in a room of the house that Dee and most of his men stayed in. It was also reminding her of her and Daryl's own problems that she and him both seemed to immature to deal with.

"But it was somethin like that," She murmured softly.

"They're good men," The Governor said. "I know Merle is. Don't know Daryl, but he seems to be. He keeps an eye on you doesn't he?"

Scarlett looked back at the Governor. His eyes were locked on hers.

"Ya know, I never would have pictured the two of you together. Guess that's another interesting thing about this whole situation we're all in. We're forced to interact with people we wouldn't normally interact. We do what we have to survive and form allegiances," he finished.

Scarlett studied the man's face. The way he spoke almost made it seem like he was still talking about Daryl and her.

"I asked Merle to take Daryl out today. If he's half as devoted and useful as his brother then we'll be in good shape. It's about time he learned how things work around here."

Scarlett nodded.

"But I have been noticing he seems a little distrusting."

"Distrusting?" Scarlett murmured. She cocked an eyebrow at the man sitting before her.

"But I don't know the man and he doesn't know me or my people. I guess he has reason to be cautious. Maybe Merle can help calm him down," The Governor downed the rest of the alcohol out of his glass.

"What's your real name?" Scarlett asked. "It might help if you weren't so mysterious." She waited for him to answer, longing for the change of subject.

The Governor broke into a slight smile. "I never tell."

"That's mighty suspicious," Scarlett smiled back at him. "You seem to know everything about everyone here."

"I don't know much about you," he murmured. "But I trust you." he added when she looked back at him. "You're definitely not what I would assume as a threat around here, Scarlett."

"Assuming isn't always the best thing," she said. "You know what they say about assuming."

"It makes an ass outta you and me?" The Governor finished for her with a laugh.

Scarlett laughed, Their eyes met and she looked back down at her hands in her lap.

"Phillip."

Scarlett looked back up at him quickly as he spoke.

"Phillip?" she repeated the name.

He nodded.

"Was that so hard?" She asked.

"No," he laughed as he toyed with his empty glass again.

"How's your hand? Is it still healing properly?" The Governor asked when his smile finally faded.

"Oh yeah," Scarlett looked down at the stitched cut on the palm of her hand.

"Mind if I take a look? Don't wanna get an infection. We like to stop things like that before they get outta hand. It saves our medicine and supplies-"

Scarlett immediately looked to the door as a knock interrupted the Governor.

"I better get going," Scarlett said, quickly using the Governor's visitor as her escape. She could see the sky beginning to darken slightly from the Governor's kitchen window and she wondered how much longer it would be until Daryl got back.

She slid out of her chair and the Governor got up too. She took extra time picking up the bag of paints as she let him walk ahead of her and to the door.

The Governor opened the door as Scarlett walked toward it. She saw Merle first. The second visitor was standing out of the doorway to Merle's side. Scarlett recognized her immediately. It was the girl that Daryl had mentioned days before, and the one Liz had talked about. The Asian girl's eyes were wide when they met hers.

Merle's hand let go of the Asian girl's arm quickly, almost so fast that Scarlett wondered if he'd been holding on to her or not.

"Uh, Scarlett, We got back a little while ago. Daryl was looking for ya," Merle muttered almost immediately.

"Okay," Scarlett said quickly.

Scarlett looked back at the woman that stood before her. She was petite. Scarlett assumed that they were probably about the same size. This woman was pretty. Her straight black hair was tossed over one shoulder and her features were delicate, but her wide eyes gave her an almost nervous demeanor.

The Governor cleared his throat beside her. "Uh. Did anyone run into any trouble on your trip?"

Merle shook his head. "No Sir. Everything went smooth. Didn't find anything useful though."

"I don't think we've met," Scarlett murmured, interrupting the men's conversation. "I'm Scarlett."

Scarlett didn't miss the woman's nervous glance toward the Governor before their eyes met once again.

"Hi," The woman murmured after a few awkward seconds. "Janelle," she introduced herself softly and her eyes immediately looked to the floor.

Silence fell in between the four of them once again. Scarlett hung the bag of paint over her shoulder and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Well," The Governor spoke again. "Thanks for stopping by Scarlett. I'll be lookin forward to seein whatever you come up with for the wall."

"No thank you for the paint," Scarlett said softly.

Merle sidestepped and allowed her to pass in between him and Janelle and out into the hall. She gave the three of them one last glance and started down the darkened hallway. Scarlett walked slowly, straining her ears to hear anything that the three of them might say.

"What can I help you two with?" The Governor asked loudly.

Scarlett slipped around the corner but stopped. She listened hard and pressed her back against the wall. There was silence for a moment as Scarlett looked straight ahead, waiting for any sound.

"What are you doing Merle?" The Governor's low voice hissed. "It isn't even curfew yet."

"We need to talk," Merle murmured.

There was a scuffle of footsteps on the hard floor and then the door slammed. Scarlett came back around the corner. The hallway was now empty. She tiptoed back to the door. The voices became distinct almost immediately.

"What was that about?" Merle asked.

"What?" The Governor's distinct voice asked back.

"Her. Why was she here?" Merle demanded.

Scarlett furrowed her eyebrows.

"She came to pick up paint," The Governor said.

"What about what I said?" Merle asked. "I told you that things aren't gonna work. Things are gonna get out of hand real quick. Daryl is still suspicious and I don't fuckin know why."

"We'll discuss this later," The Governor's tone came out sharp.

"We need to talk now," Merle muttered.

"Well not in here," The Governor shot back.

Scarlett's breath caught in her throat. She darted back around the corner of the hallway as fast as she could. Her back pressed back against the wall at the same time the door opened again.

"Why the hell did you bring her here so early. Somebody could have seen the both of you," The Governor hissed.

"Well My brother was lookin for his girl and I was just makin sure that little Asian bitch was comin like she was supposed to," Merle rasped.

"What are you suggesting there Merle? Janelle comes after curfew. When nobody's in the streets. She knows better than to not show up," the Governor growled.

Scarlett's eyes widened as she stared down at the floor. She hadn't heard the Governor sound angry before. It felt odd hearing the gruffness in his usually smooth and well controlled tone.

"I'm beginning to wonder if your brother staying here isn't the best thing for you. He's making you as nervous as he is and distracting you from your work," the Governor growled. "I don't want him causing trouble around here. He's looking for something, and if you're not careful, he's gonna find somethin he don't agree with."

"I tried to talk to him," Merle said.

"Well maybe it's time for him to leave."

"Not like that," Merle said quickly. "I won't go after him. Besides he'll take the girl with him. You wouldn't hurt-"

"Whatever has to be done to keep this town safe and under my control, I'll do it," The Governor interrupted him. "We'll talk about this tomorrow. Understand?"

"Yes sir," Merle grumbled.

"Now get back to the wall," The Governor ordered.

Scarlett tiptoed quickly down the hallway. She could hear Merle's footsteps coming down the hall and the door out of the building was still a few stride lengths away from her..

Her heart leapt into her throat as she waited for Merle to catch her eavesdropping, but her eyes fell on another door close by. It was same kind of door as the front one that led out into the streets.

Scarlett didn't give herself time to even think about it. She grabbed the doorknob and opened it, quickly throwing herself out and shutting the door behind her quietly.

Scarlett pressed her back against the door and let out a shaky breath. She was standing in a blocked off area behind the apartment now. Tin and fenced in areas stood before her. She took a few slow steps. It was barely light enough outside to see now. The Governor and Merle's words were still in her mind. What were they talking about and why was Merle bringing Janelle to the Governor?

Scarlett swallowed hard as she thought. She studied the area around her and walked on. She'd only gone a few more steps when she heard it. The sound of metal clanging against metal followed by familiar moans and groans. Scarlett rounded a corner quickly and froze. Over a dozen walkers stood in a fenced in area. They pushed on the metal fence harder as they saw her. The putrid smell of rotting flesh filled her nose and she turned away.

"What the hell?" she muttered under her breath.

She squinted into the darkness falling in around her. A gate stood on the opposite side. It was chained shut but wasn't very tall.

Scarlett hurried to it, taking a few nervous glances back to the fence that held the walkers in. She needed to talk to Daryl.

Scarlett reached out and examined the chains and locks on the gate. She groaned out loud. There was now way she would get through unless she went over. She tossed the bag of paints over the top and latched onto the gate. Luckily, the gate was easily climbable. The bars on it were perfect and she was up and over it quickly.

Scarlett snatched the bag back up quickly and hurried down the empty alleyway she found herself in. Her mind raced. First Merle and Janelle and now walkers in pens?

Scarlett stepped out into the street. It was empty now and the sky was almost totally dark. The fires that lined the streets were now lit and illuminating them. It was obviously close or passed curfew.

She repositioned the bag of paint on her shoulder as she walked briskly back to the guard's building. The sound of her cowboy boots scraping against the asphalt was the only noise for a while.

"Scarlett!"

Scarlett turned at the sound of the raspy voice. Her heart leapt in her throat and she gritted her teeth together.

Merle hurried to her as she stayed frozen.

"We need to talk," he rasped.

Scarlett felt numb. She assumed he knew what she'd seen or what she'd heard. She stared back at him blankly. Her mind couldn't even conjure up a response.

"C'mon," he motioned for her to follow him and he pointed to a building nearby.

Scarlett shook her head quickly.

"No," she murmured.

"What the hell are you talking about no? We need to talk."

"I'm not goin anywhere with you,' Scarlett spat quickly. She'd seen him holding onto Janelle's arm, and the frightened look in her eyes. There was no way she was going off with him. Even Daryl wasn't sure about his own brother, constantly telling her how uncontrollable he was at times. Merle hadn't given her the warmest welcome when they'd first met either.

"We need to talk about Daryl," he said quickly.

Scarlett stayed planted in her place. She stared back at Merle. His mouth closed back into a tightened frown and he groaned angrily.

"Listen to me," he reached out and tightly grabbed her wrist. In one quick, fluid, motion, he pulled her closer to him.

Scarlett's breath caught in her throat.

"Take care of him. Do you understand me? Make him stop snoopin around," Merle whispered gruffly before she could even pull away from him. She stayed frozen in place as she listened to him. His hot breath hit the side of her face.

"Just make him calm down, but don't leave," Merle continued. "Don't let him try it."

He let go of her almost immediately and Scarlett stepped away.

"I'm bein serious," Merle said quickly. "If he tries to, you gotta tell me."

She took a few more nervous steps back.

"Why?" she demanded. She wasn't surprised when her voice shook.

"Don't ask questions, just do what I said," Merle growled. "He'll listen to you."

_Please Review!_


	18. Chapter 18

_Thanks for each and every review!_

_**Natza- **__Thanks so much! I'm really glad you like it. The one thing I definitely worry about is whether or not what I write is believable. I always hope I'm not boring people with my slowly developing relationships._

_**Marianasgirl-**__ You're definitely close about your assumption with Janelle haha. I read you review and I was like dang, she's just about right._

**_fanficgirl _**_- Scarlett most definitely isn't turning into an Andrea. I wasn't going to do that to her and risk everyone hating her haha._

_Here ya'll go. Please review!_

"What the hell's going on? What's wrong with ya?"

Daryl ignored and stomped passed the guard who'd spoken. The man was standing beside their building, a rifle propped over his shoulder. Daryl quickened his pace. Scarlett wasn't in their room and he'd already walked down the streets nearby a couple of times and still hadn't found her yet. Panic tightened his chest. The streets were dark and empty now, only illuminated by the fires lining them. The chilly air crept up his spine, sending a shiver through his body because of the cold. Maybe it was even the anger and fear he was feeling. Where the hell was she? He'd told her to stay in the room, but he'd had a feeling she wouldn't listen. Even if she went out, he knew she should be in by now. It was passed curfew. The only people out were the guards who were making their way to the walls. Merle had even disappeared when they'd gotten back. He couldn't shake the thought that something could have happened to her.

Daryl let out a shaky breath and turned back to take a quick glance up the main street. All of the breath left his body when he saw her. Scarlett was heading his way. His entire body relaxed immediately. Scarlett was walking quickly. She had a bag hung over her shoulder and the gray hood of her jacket pulled onto her head.

"Where the hell have you been?" Daryl demanded as he moved closer in her direction. His voice came out sharp and angry, but the worry he felt kept him from softening it.

Scarlett eyes left his and she readjusted the bag on her shoulder.

"I….I just got the paint I needed," she murmured. She took a deep breath and looked around.

"From where?" Daryl demanded. He studied Scarlett's face. She looked as if she was lost in her own thoughts. She pulled the hood off of her head and her eyes met his again.

"Where'd you go?" Daryl asked once again.

"The Governor's apartment," she answered him softly.

"What?" Daryl exploded. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Daryl," Scarlett said desperately. "Let's just go inside."

"Wait a minute," Daryl muttered. "What happened?"

He stared back into her blue eyes until she looked back away. His mind immediately flashed to the worst scenarios. Something had happened. He could see it in her usually relaxed face. She was being quiet, too quiet, and her eyes darted away from his.

"Scarlett!" Daryl growled desperately. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, attempting to bring her attention back to him. Her quick reflexes caught him by surprise. Scarlett pulled her wrist back to her body and glared back at him. Her expression turned angry in a matter of seconds.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" she demanded. "Nothing happened."

Her quickness shocked him and only made him disbelieve her even more, but he shrank back.

"Let's just go," she muttered softly. Scarlett lowered her voice. She slid her hands into the pocked of her jacket and nodded discreetly in the direction of a few guards standing close to the wall. They were all watching them with their guns slung over their shoulders. Most of them were the same ones that had gone out with Merle and him earlier that day.

Daryl gritted his teeth together. It was all he could do to drop the subject at least long enough so the two of them could go back inside. As they walked back down the street, he looked ahead, completely avoiding the eyes of the guards who'd been eavesdropping. Scarlett's cowboy boots scraped softly on the pavement, but echoed due to the stillness of the night.

They entered the empty hallway and walked to their room. Daryl stole glances at Scarlett, but she walked calmly and stared straight ahead. She walked into their room ahead of him and he shut the door back behind them.

Scarlett laid the bag of paints onto the table in the corner of the room and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Her eyes met his and she gave him an agitated look.

"What is it, Daryl?" She demanded. "I told you nothing happened. I don't know why you think something is gonna happen to me. The Governor gave me the paints and I left."

Daryl chewed nervously at his thumbnail. Scarlett sat back against the pillows but she still looked lost in her thoughts.

He stood for a few minutes. Her reassurances did nothing for him, but he knew if he didn't stop, she'd totally clam up.

"I asked Merle about the Asian girl," Daryl finally muttered. He looked back at Scarlett. She was sitting on the bed with her legs pulled up tightly to her body now. Her arms hugged them, pulling her knees to her chest.

Daryl waited for her to acknowledge what he'd said. She stared straight ahead as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Are you even listening to me?" Daryl snapped.

Her light blue eyes met his instantly. She nodded her head quickly. "What'd he say?" she asked.

"I tried to talk to him," Daryl said. "But he didn't wanna talk much. Merle said he didn't know her though. Said he wasn't around her much. She has a kid though."

"Oh," Scarlett murmured.

Something was wrong. He could see it on her face.

Daryl moved closer to her.

"What'd he do?" he finally demanded.

"What who?" Scarlett asked.

"The Governor," Daryl spat.

"He didn't do anything," Scarlett said quickly.

"Well what the hell is wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said simply. "What the hell is wrong with you? One minute you act like you're interested in me and the next you aren't. What are you playing at?"

Daryl froze. "Scarlett I ain't stayin here. These people, these men aren't as good as you think they are." Scarlett looked back at him. Her expression looked lifeless, numb. Daryl couldn't decipher a single emotion that crossed it.

"We need to go. Just me and you," he said.

"You didn't answer my question," she mumbled.

Daryl rubbed his eyes and face tiredly. This wasn't the talk he'd pieced together in his mind for the two of them to have. He couldn't bring himself to acknowledge what she'd asked. He'd hoped she would read between the lines, and she'd understand that he did care.

"Do you like me or not?" Scarlett asked. "Why do you act like you can't touch me now? I wasn't good enough for you the first time or something?"

Daryl clenched his teeth together. She had to know he cared about her. He'd never felt like this with anyone else. Ever since he'd found her, there'd been something that drew him to her.

He wanted to reach out and pin her to the wall like he had days ago, but he held back. He wanted to feel the warmth of her small body against his again and show her just how he felt. The feelings and emotions from nights ago were as familiar as if it'd been an hour ago. He wanted her so badly, but it wasn't safe. Sleeping with her wasn't keeping her safe. It would look more like he was content here if he slept with her again. But he wasn't.

"You know how I feel," Daryl murmured. He broke eye contact with her immediately and waited for her to respond.

"No I don't," she said softly. "I can't read your mind."

"If I didn't care about you, I wouldn't want you to leave with me so damn bad," he said as he looked down at the floor.

"We can't leave right now, Daryl," Scarlett murmured.

Daryl looked back to her immediately. "Just fuckin think about it!" he spat.

"You don't wanna leave with me?" he demanded.

Scarlett closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead tiredly. "I do. Just trust me. We don't need to leave right now," she said.

"Well when?" Daryl snapped.

"I don't know,' she murmured. "Just a few days. Nothing is gonna happen to us here. We just need to blend in for a few more days."

"Why?" Daryl growled.

"Daryl," Scarlett said tiredly. "Please just blend in for a few more days. Stop snooping around please."

Daryl glared back at Scarlett. "Merle is drivin me crazy tryin to get me to guard the wall tomorrow. I think I'm gonna do it just to listen to them other assholes' conversations. See what they think about the Governor. What is it gonna take for you to leave with me? I'll give you proof of why you need to, why we should just go. I'll find proof."

"Daryl no," Scarlett said quickly. She slid off the bed and stood up.

She walked closer to him. "Please just calm down," she murmured as she leaned in closer.

Daryl clenched his teeth together. Scarlett's face was only inches from his and he felt his breath catch in his throat. Her mouth moved closer to his and Daryl closed his eyes. She gently pressed her lips to his and latched onto the front of his shirt with her hands. Scarlett pulled him in closer and Daryl kissed her back. The taste of her lips intoxicated him, and she pressed her body closer to him, only making his mind spin. It wasn't just his mind that reacted to her touch though, his entire body did. It was like a fiery rush when she touched him. Raw emotions coursed through his body all the way to his fingertips.

_This isn't helping_, Daryl's mind screamed at him. This wasn't getting her to leave with him. She was trying to make him forget. She was trying to make him stay.

It took all he had, bu Daryl pulled his mouth away from hers and grabbed her hands off his chest.

"Scarlett," he said throatily. "Let's just go."

Scarlett stared back at him. Their faces were still only inches apart, but she pulled away. Daryl let go of her hands and she took a step away.

"Stay here a little longer," Scarlett said softly. "Then I'll leave with you. Okay?"

* * *

Scarlett stared into the darkness of their room. She'd been lying awake almost all night, unable to sleep very long at a time. Daryl was lying beside her on the complete opposite side of the bed. The space between them was cold and empty, large enough to fit at least another person. The room was so quiet that she could hear his breathing while he 'd went to bed angry at her again. He was being hardheaded, trying every way possible to try and get her to leave with him. It was almost as if it was his mission to not show her any affection until they left.

Scarlett couldn't stop thinking about Merle and the Asian girl, or even the walkers she'd found. It'd taken everything she had not to tell Daryl what'd she'd seen earlier.

Merle's conversation had made her rethink doing so. Merle sounded desperate. He didn't want Daryl snooping. He said she needed to keep him safe by making him stop snooping. If Daryl knew about anything she'd seen, he'd definitely snoop. The question was, what kind of danger would he be in for snooping?

Merle had already lied about one thing though. Why would he lie about the Asian girl? He'd told Daryl that he was never around her, yet he brought her to the Governor almost like a package.

He'd also said not to let Daryl leave. What the hell did he mean don't leave? The Governor said he'd throw him out, make him leave, but Merle had freaked out even then. Merle said he wouldn't go after him and that Daryl would take her with him anyway. It was true, she assumed that he wouldn't leave without her.

So she needed to make him stay? _Only for a little while, _Scarlett told herself. She'd keep him here long enough to figure out what was going on and why they weren't supposed to leave. If Merle hadn't seemed so desperate about her keeping Daryl here, she wouldn't have thought much about it.

And what the hell was with the walkers being kept inside the town? Daryl was right about one thing for sure now. The town wasn't safe. It wasn't safe as long as there were walkers inside.

Scarlett rolled off of her side and onto her back. She had questions that she wanted answers to. She knew exactly who she was going to as soon as morning came. Daryl would be on the wall, snooping in his own way; and she'd been snooping in her way too. She'd just have to make sure that she and Daryl both looked normal and blended in.

When morning came, Scarlett was awake to see the sun break through the dark night. The cracks in the blinds let the morning light in and illuminated their room. She and Daryl got up with the same tension and awkwardness that they'd dealt with the night before. Scarlett bit her tongue. She wanted so desperately to tell him about what she'd seen and heard the night before, but she didn't. She avoided all of his pleads to leave, once again, until one of the other guards stopped in to ask him if he was going on the wall.

After Daryl went to the wall, Scarlett gathered up the bag of paints and paintbrushes. She got dressed and walked out to the blank brick wall. She pulled her wavy brown hair up into a ponytail and wore an old t-shirt, her gray jacket, pair of sneakers, and a pair of jeans that she'd been given.

Everyone in the town certainly made sure that clothes were rationed out equally and cleaned regularly.

Scarlett laid the bag of paints onto the ground and pulled out the paintbrushes. She pretended as if she was in deep thought about her task at hand, but in reality, she wasn't. The people of Woodbury didn't walk passed her without looking. Everyone seemed to be interested in her project. A few people stopped and talked lightly with her. She pretended to listen to their small talk as she scanned the people walking around. She was looking for Liz. Liz had said it herself that she knew everything that went on in these walls.

The people walking the streets eventually stopped. It was if there was a morning rush and then everyone went back to their homes or wherever they went. Scarlett actually started to paint. She sat cross-legged on the pavement as she mixed her colors in a paper plate given to her by one of the shop keepers in the shop nearby.

Every now and then Scarlett would look around. She hoped that Daryl wasn't doing anything that would get him into trouble. She also hoped that the Governor didn't decide to stop by and talk to her. If Daryl saw him, she knew that Daryl would only become harder and harder to control and keep from acting out or drawing attention to himself.

"Well lookie here," a voice said casually from behind Scarlett.

Scarlett turned her head and looked up at Liz standing behind her. The woman was looking at the wall Scarlett had painted a few strokes and shapes onto.

"Liz!" Scarlett climbed to her feet quickly.

"Hey girl, how's your stay been?" The blond asked as she smacked on a piece of chewing gun.

She was wearing a low cut top and tight jeans. The same bright red shade of lipstick as the one days ago, stained her lips, only reinforcing her slightly slutty look.

"It's been okay," Scarlett chose her words carefully as she rubbed at some of the paint that had gotten on her hands.

"That's good," Liz said.

Scarlett let her eyes drift away from Liz as she thought of how she should begin to ask Liz the questions that haunted her mind. She immediately forgot all of them the minute her eyes fell on Janelle walking out of a shop door. A little girl was close by her side.

Scarlett's heart leapt. She'd wanted to talk to Liz, but Janelle was even better.

"I gotta go," Scarlett said quickly. "We'll talk later," she added.

"Uh. Okay," Liz muttered. The woman gave her a strange look.

"Sorry," Scarlett gave her a quick smile and hurried passed her, leaving all of her paints and supplies.

The Asian woman continued down the street as she leaned down to say a few words to the little girl at her side.

"Janelle!" Scarlett called out.

Janelle turned quickly. She held her daughter's hand clasped tightly in hers. The little girl looked almost exactly like her mother. She had big brown eyes and her black hair was parted and pulled into pigtails that reached her shoulders.

"What?" Janelle demanded. "What do you want?"

"Uh," Scarlett frantically tried to piece words together in her mind. She finally had the chance to talk to the mysterious woman and she had no idea what to say.

"I just wanted to talk, can we?" Scarlett finally asked.

The woman shook her head quickly."Please," Scarlett begged. "Just for a minute."

"About what?" Janelle looked around nervously.

"Please Janelle, I just need your help with somethin" Scarlett tried again.

"Shhh,'" Janelle said quickly. Her eyes desperately met Scarlett's. "We can't talk here," she lowered her voice.

Janelle moved closer. She leaned in slowly and Scarlett watched her.

"We can't be seen together here," Janelle lowered her desperate voice. "If you wanna talk," she looked around once again before she finished. "Wait a few minutes and then go down that alleyway," Janelle nodded in the direction. "Stop at the third door on the right, but only if no one sees you."

Scarlett nodded quickly.

Janelle pulled her daughter back to her side and they hurried down the alleyway. Scarlett watched them leave and turned away when they disappeared into the third doorway.

* * *

"What did you want?" Janelle asked nervously as she shut the door behind Scarlett.

"I just wanted to talk about this place, and the Governor," Scarlett murmured as she looked around the little room.

They were standing in a little living room with a kitchen adjoined. It was slightly cluttered and dimly lit.

"What'd he do?" Janelle asked. She chewed at her bottom lip nervously.

"Nothing. He didn't do anything I was just wondering," Scarlett murmured unsurely.

"He's not who you think he is. This place isn't what you think it is," Janelle said.

"Well what is it? I'm having a hard time keeping Daryl here, and I don't understand what's going on here," Scarlett muttered.

Janelle's daughter entered the living room from another door not far away. She was holding a stuffed rabbit in her hands. She immediately walked to Janelle's side. She clutched onto her mother's pants leg.

"I can't tell you anything, Scarlett," the woman murmured as she looked back down at her daughter.

"You don't have to I just wanna talk," Scarlett said softly. "Please."

"Sit down," Janelle motioned to a crudely made wooden kitchen table in the kitchen part of the room.

Scarlett walked ahead of them and took a seat.

Janelle sat down across from her and pulled her daughter into her lap.

Now that they were under a light, Scarlett studied the woman's face. She looked young, but tired. Dark circles were under her eyes, and she looked tired or upset. She tossed her straight black hair over her right shoulder as she took a deep breath.

"You can't leave," Janelle murmured softly. She looked down at the table top as she talked.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett sat up straighter in her chair and stared back at the woman before her.

"He doesn't let you. It's an act. He sends you off with food and water, but he sends his henchmen after you," Janelle's eyes met hers. "They kill you or worse. The Governor tells them he doesn't care what they do. The Governor just doesn't want you alive. He doesn't want you to have a chance to come back into Woodbury."

Janelle brought her attention back to her daughter in her lap.

"Katherine, honey, why don't you show Miss Scarlett your drawings. She's an artist."

Katherine looked up at Scarlett. Even Scarlett saw the spark of interest that flashed through the little girl's brown eyes. Scarlett gave the little girl a slight smile.

Katherine immediately slid from her mother's lap and onto the floor. She hurried out of the room, still holding the little pink stuffed rabbit in her arms.

"Why? Those men? The guards? They'll kill people?" Scarlett asked as soon as Katherine was out of earshot. "Just because we don't want to stay here? They'll kill us?"

"Scarlett, if someone finds out I told you-" the woman trailed off.

"I won't tell anyone I swear," Scarlett said quickly. "I'm just trying to keep Daryl safe. He wants to leave."

"Oh God," Janelle looked back at Scarlett with wide eyes. "Daryl is Merle's brother. If Merle finds out I told-"

"He won't," Scarlett tried to reassure the nervous woman once again. "I swear to God. Just tell me, if we leave they'll kill us?"

Janelle nodded. "Believe me, I've heard enough horror stories of what they've done to the people who've left, especially the women," Janelle looked back down at the table top.

"If you leave those gates, they're allowed to do whatever they want to you. Those men aren't guards. They're just henchmen. They rape, they murder, and they pillage. But they do it behind closed doors so to speak. Nobody knows, and the people that have witnessed them firsthand are always the ones that never return. They come back and tell the Governor what they did, like they're proud. He gets off on it as much as they do. At first they didn't say things in front of me, but now I hear everything. I think the Governor thinks I'll be more scared. He thinks that by knowing more, I'll be more careful. I know he thinks I'd be easily gotten rid of."

"Why do they do that to people?" Scarlett sputtered.

"He's scared that people will come back and overpower him," Janelle said simply. "As for the guards, they're just evil. They don't care about anyone but themselves. I only stay for Katherine now, but he doesn't let everybody stay free of charge."

Janelle swallowed hard and propped her elbows on the table top. She rubbed her tired eyes.

"That's why Merle brought you to him?" Scarlett asked softly.

"It's not the first time I've been there," Janelle murmured. She looked away, and Scarlett could see the woman's eyes beginning to water.

Scarlett looked away from the woman. She couldn't think of anything to say.

"If I don't go to him, he says he'll make me and Katherine leave," The woman murmured softly. "I stay here to keep her safe. I stay out of fear of what those men would do if they hunted us down. She's only five, I couldn't imagine…," Janelle trailed off when her voice shook. "If you get away and aren't found by the henchmen, then you're out free. Except you have to fend for yourself again and survive against the dead. But I don't think many people make it passed those men. They enjoy hunting you down. They treat it like a game."

"Merle too?" Scarlett asked.

Janelle nodded. "He always goes after whoever leaves. Him and a bunch of others. He's almost like the ringleader….I remember at first, when I tried to get away, and I resisted him. The Governor used Merle to scare me. Merle would tell me what he and those others were gonna do to me when I walked back out of those gates. The Governor said I'd wish I was back with him whenever he made me leave and Merle and the others hunted me down."

Scarlett swallowed hard. "I heard last night though. Merle said he wouldn't hunt Daryl if the Governor made us leave," she said quickly.

"The Governor will just send others after the two of you," Janelle said sadly.

"They'll kill you. They'll do whatever they wanna do to you."

"That's why Merle told me not to let Daryl leave," Scarlett mumbled under her breath. "He's scared they'll kill him."

Janelle nodded slightly. "The Governor would do it too. He would send the men out to kill him. He already thinks that Daryl is up to something. I've heard him and Merle talking."

"What am I gonna do?" Scarlett asked nervously. "What are you gonna do?"

"As long as I go to the Governor, Katherine will be safe. Nobody would hurt her around all these people," Janelle murmured. "He says he'll let us stay if I keep going to him."

"Janelle, I don't see how she's safe here if the guards and the Governor are this crazy and sick," Scarlett murmured.

"I would've already left with her if I thought that was what was best," Janelle's voice shook. "She went through so much though. Katherine was so scared of those monsters out there when we were alone. She was hungry. She isn't scared here, she isn't hungry. It's the best I can do for her. If we leave we'll die, if not by the hands of those men, then by the dead."

Scarlett watched the woman wipe a stray tear off of her cheek.

"He just makes you sleep with him?" Scarlett asked quietly.

"You…You wouldn't understand what I've been through since I got here," Janelle murmured.

Scarlett swallowed hard. She diverted her gaze from Janelle's. Scarlett had already been someone's victim. It'd only been a week, but Dee had claimed her as his, almost like The Governor seemed to have claimed Janelle.

"But it's just the Governor you have to go to? You're just going to keep going to him?" Scarlett asked after a few minutes of agonizing silence.

"Yeah. Just him, but I have too. You just stay away from him, and you should be okay. The guards won't hurt anyone staying in the town because it's too risky," Janelle answered her. "You should just stay and act normal. Don't draw attention to yourself. If you leave, you'll die and those men, maybe not Merle since he's Daryl's brother; but the others who go out aren't gonna kill a pretty girl like you _right_ away."

Scarlett looked away from Janelle and stared back out into her living room. Hearing all of this at one time was too much.

"I never would've though it was this bad," Scarlett murmured softly.

The woman blinked back a few tears, sending a few of them running down her cheeks. "I would have left already if it wasn't for Katherine," she sniffled.

"I don't know what to do," Scarlett said as she thought hard. "I've got to tell Daryl before he gets himself in trouble."

"Don't say anything I told you please!" Janelle pleaded. "I hear a lot when I'm at his apartment and he knows that. If he finds out I told-"

"I won't tell," Scarlett assured her quickly. "Nobody will know I talked to you."

Janelle stifled a sob, and Scarlett felt a pang of sadness hit her. It was obvious just how much the woman cared for her daughter. She was doing everything she could for her. Scarlett bit down on her bottom lip when she felt her own eyes water. The lump grew in her throat. What Janelle was going through was nearly exactly what she'd already been through with Dee, except she didn't have a kid thrown into the mix.

"He talks about you," Janelle murmured, making Scarlett's mind freeze. Her thoughts immediately left her mind and the tears in her eyes disappeared almost immediately.

"What do you mean?" Scarlett demanded as chill ran down her spine. She held her breath as she awaited the woman's answer.

"I think it would be in your best interest to stay as far away from him as possible," Janelle murmured softly. She brought her attention to her hands clasped in her lap.

"Why?" Scarlett demanded desperately.

"He thinks that your boyfriend is easily expendable," the woman said. Her eyes still wouldn't meet Scarlett's from across the table and Scarlett was only becoming more and more uneasy

"What does he say?" Scarlett demanded again.

Janelle shook her head and stood up. "You've gotta go. If he finds out you were here-"

"No, please," Scarlett begged. She sat placed both of her hands palm first on the table and climbed to her feet.

Janelle turned back. She shook her head slowly.

When Scarlett didn't let up, Janelle wiped her eyes and took a deep breath.

"I can't ever tell if he's bluffing or just talking," the woman began.

"I need to know, Janelle," Scarlett could hear the fear that strangled her own voice.

"I just think that maybe he thinks that maybe he can…," Janelle trailed off. She closed her mouth back and shook her head. "I think that…Well…You've sparked his interest, Scarlett."

Scarlett swallowed hard. Her heart felt as if it sank in her chest. "What do you mean?"

"I thought when you said you needed my help, that he'd done something to you," Janelle murmured. "I was worried that he'd already tried to…"

"He hasn't," Scarlett blurted out quickly.

"Well stay away from him and keep it that way. Once he knows he can manipulate you into doing whatever he wants, he will," the woman murmured.

Scarlett felt numb. She stared back at Janelle's tearstained face. Scarlett couldn't speak. She could barely even think. It was all too much to hear at once, and she only wanted to talk to Daryl.

"Woodbury isn't safe at all is it?" Scarlett asked softly.

"It depends on who you are," Janelle answered her grimly. "But no, for us I don't think it is."

* * *

Daryl sat in a folding lawn chair with his crossbow in his lap. The feel of the bow in his hands gave him a somewhat comforting feeling; maybe it was the familiarity or the security it brought him. Crowley, one of the Governor's men sat not far away. He sat with his feet propped into another chair and the butt of his rifle in between his legs. The barrel of the gun leaned against his shoulder.

They'd been sitting in almost total silence. Crowley had been talkative at first, rambling or making snide comments about random things; but when Daryl hadn't joined in, the man fell silent.

As he stared out into the wreckage just on the other side of the wall, he tried to think of things to say to Scarlett. The side of the wall that he and Crowley had been positioned on wasn't exactly what he'd wanted. Instead of the view of the main streets and a perfect view of where Scarlett was supposed to be painting, they were at the back wall. Their views were the back of buildings or the deserted and trashed other half of town on the other side of the wall.

Daryl needed to convince Scarlett that they needed to go. He didn't fit in with the men who the Governor relied on, and he didn't want too. What was safe about staying in a town governed by one man? It spelled out trouble, and he was afraid it wouldn't be long before he and Scarlett found themselves in the middle of something. Merle was acting weird. He actually acted as if he was afraid of the man. He wouldn't talk to Daryl though.

Daryl couldn't help but wish he and Scarlett were still with Rick's group. If they were even a group any more. If any of them were still alive. With Rick and the others, Rick was mainly in charge, but he didn't govern the rest of them. They didn't follow his every word. It was more of a group thing, deciding and dealing with things. They had all looked to Rick, but it hadn't been because they had to.

Power hungry came to mind every time Daryl looked at the Governor. Unlike Rick, he seemed to enjoy the fact that he had everyone under his control.

"You ain't much like your brother," Crowley muttered, pulling Daryl from his thoughts.

Daryl looked back at the man.

"Merle says ya worry too much,' Crowley continued. "Says ya wanna leave."

"This ain't really my type of place," Daryl grumbled back.

"Are ya takin the girl with ya if you go?" Crowley asked.

"What?" Daryl demanded sharply.

"Your girl. If you leave, are you taking her with you?" Crowley asked once again.

"Do you think I'd leave her here?" Daryl snapped.

"Aye man I'm just curious," the man said quickly. He stared back at Daryl as he scratched his chin.

"Why would you even ask. Why the hell do you care?" Daryl muttered. "You want me to leave her here or somethin?"

"Go ahead, take her with ya. Do what you wanna do. What you think is best," Crowley said as he smiled. "She's your girl. Hell I wouldn't leave her behind either. I'd keep her around all the time. Looks like you lucked out with her, man."

Daryl scowled back at the man.

"She could probably hold her own out there anyway right? She tough huh?" Crowley asked.

Daryl grunted in response. He never liked whenever the men brought her up. It always got under his skin, maybe because the way they did it. They talked about her as if they were trying to make him angry.

"Ole Merle's probably givin ya a hard time about leavin ain't he?" Crowley asked after a few minutes.

Daryl didn't acknowledge him. Instead, he looked out into the distance, focusing his eyes on an overturned bus.

"Don't let your brother mess with your head," Crowley muttered. "If you wanna leave, you do it. Take your girl and get the hell outta here if ya want. Don't have to stay if ya don't want to. Ain't gotta walk around here looking like a sour puss all the damn time. You wanna try your luck out there again, you go for it. All you gotta do is tell the Governor you're planning on leavin and ya'll can walk right on outta them gates."

Daryl looked back at the man. It was exactly what he wanted to do, just take Scarlett and leave.


End file.
